Southwest and Spring Valley neighborhood news July 30 – Aug. 5

SHABBAT SERVICES PLANNED

Congregation P’nai Tikvah is offering free high holiday programs and services to the public as a way to welcome, engage and connect with the Jewish community.

Shabbat Services — Preparing for the Days of Awe are planned at 6:30 and
7:30 p.m. Aug. 2 and at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 16 at Kraft Sussman Chapel, 3975 S. Durango Drive, Suite 104. Other services are planned around the valley at future dates. For more information, call 702-436-4900 or visit pnaitikvah.org.

YARNSTORMERS SEEKING KNITTING ENTHUSIASTS AND VOLUNTEERS

The West Flamingo Senior Center Yarnstormers, who covered a Maryland Parkway pedestrian bridge in yarn last summer, are crocheting flowers to cover a wall in the main lobby of the center. To complete the mural, they are inviting knitters and crochet artists of all ages to join them in a morning Yarn-a-Thon, planned from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Aug. 10 at the West Flamingo Senior Center, 6255 W. Flamingo Road.

Participants will be provided with yarn, music and refreshments while they knit or crochet granny squares, circles or flowers. All of the day’s creations will be used at the center for yarnstorming projects. There will be a yoga room for stretching between creations, a break room with refreshments and a room for learning the basics of knitting and crocheting. Parents and grandparents are encouraged to bring their younger family members ages 8 or older to learn basic stitches.

Participants are encouraged to sign up by calling the center, as space is limited. Knitting needles and crochet hooks are available for beginners, but experienced crafters are encouraged to bring their own tools. Yarn will be provided by a local sponsor, Care More.

The yarnstormers are also seeking donations of yarn and volunteers to teach others and general help with the event. For information about donations or volunteering, contact Diane Bush at 702-455-7742.

HOSPITAL WINS PATIENT CARE AWARD

Southern Hills Hospital, 9300 W. Sunset Road, has announced that it received the 2013 Nevada Hospital Engagement Bright Spot in the Silver State Award for demonstrating excellence in patient safety. The award recognizes hospitals for demonstrating high quality patient care and excellence in performance on a select group of patient safety indicators that are reported to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Innovation Center, as part of the Partnerships for Patients campaign sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and CMMI.

For more information, visit southern
hillshospital.com.

oPPORTUNITY VILLAGE OFFERS TRIP
TO ENGLAND FOR SANTA RUN FUNDRAISERS

Those who plan to participate in Opportunity Village’s Great Santa Run downtown have the opportunity of fundraising $6,500 by Sept. 30 to get a trip to Liverpool, England, to represent Las Vegas in the 2013 Liverpool Santa Dash, planned for Dec. 1. The money raised automatically qualifies participants for the trip, including round-trip airfare and three nights accommodations in Liverpool, Nov. 29 through Dec. 2. Valid passports are required, and the money is nonrefundable. For more information, visit lasvegassantarun.org.

manhattan west development
BACK UNDERWAY with new name

The once-shuttered Manhattan West, a 20-acre development west of the Las Vegas Beltway at Russell Road, has new owners, a new name, a new development team and a construction start date of the third quarter of 2013.

A mixed-use project, The Gramercy encompasses 200,000 square feet of Class-A office and retail space; a nine-story luxury high-rise with 85 apartments, a rooftop pool and party deck; and a four-story mid-rise with 160 apartment units surrounding a central park with shaded seating areas, a community fire pit and a swimming pool. The first office, retail and residential move-ins are scheduled for spring 2014. For commercial leasing information, contact Brad Peterson at 702-369-4809 or brad.peterson@cbre.com.

AUDITIONS OPEN FOR LVLT’S ‘AMATEURS’

Auditions are planned at 7 p.m. July 30 at the Las Vegas Little Theatre, 3920 Schiff Drive, for “Amateurs,” set for Sept. 13-29. A house party with the cast of an upcoming musical goes awry when the critic dies from a heart attack and drops his unpublished review of the show. All roles are open, and all are nonpaying. LVLT is a nonprofit company, and all roles are on a volunteer basis. For more information, visit lvlt.org.

CHILDS’ PLAY OFFERING
SUMMER MINI-CAMPS

Childs’ Play, 7260 S. Cimarron Road, has announced children’s summer mini-camps through the season. The camps, for ages 3 to 5, are planned from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays through August. Each day is to be a different theme for exploration, playing and learning with story times, circle times, science experiments, arts and crafts, fine and gross motor skills and open play.

Price per mini-camp are as follows (a $5 sibling discount is available each day):

One day a week: members, $35; nonmembers: $45

Two days a week: members, $65; nonmembers: $75

Three days a week: members, $85; nonmembers: $95

Scheduled weeks are Aug. 5 and 12.

All participants must be potty-trained. These camps are 2½ hours each.

For more information or to register, call 702-722-6041.

BLM COLLECTING ENTRIES THROUGH SEPTEMBER FOR PHOTO CONTEST

The Bureau of Land Management is celebrating Nevada’s Sesquicentennial, or 150th anniversary, by seeking photos that highlight residents’ adventures and activities on public lands and historic sites. Winning photos will be featured in the BLM Nevada 2014 planner and on the BLM Nevada web and social media sites and could appear on BLM’s national social media sites.

Photos will be selected from the following categories: Adventure & Outdoor Recreation; Historical & Cultural; Scenic, Seasons & Landscapes; and Animals. Photo must have been taken between Jan. 1, 2011, and Sept. 30, 2013. Contest entries will be accepted up to Sept. 30. Winners will be announced Oct. 31.

In addition to the photo contest, the BLM will also be producing a children’s activity book, developing 150 themed geocaches and highlighting the BLM’s role in the state’s history.

For more information, contact Kaitlin Godbey at 775-861-6471 or kgodbey@blm.gov, or visit blm.gov/nv/st/en/prog/recreation/nevada_150.html.

USTA-NEVADA GATHERING
USED TENNIS RACKETS

The United States Tennis Association-Nevada, a nonprofit organization that promotes the sport, is in need of gently used tennis rackets, including wooden ones. USTA-Nevada offices are at 1333 N. Buffalo Drive, Suite 130.

For more information, call 702-792-8384 or visit ustanevada.com.

HELP OF SOUTHERN NEVADA LAUNCHES
10TH OF THE MONTH DONOR PROGRAM

HELP of Southern Nevada is launching its $10 on the 10th recurring donor program, which encourages Southern Nevada residents to help make a difference in their community by donating $10 on the 10th of every month.

To sign up, visit helpsonv.org, click “Get Involved” and scroll down to donate, labeling $10 on the 10th in the description. Donors have the option to select the frequency of a recurring donation by using the drop-down box. Sign-ups on behalf of someone else are also available as gifts.

BANK OF AMERICA INITIATIVE PLANNED
TO BENEFIT VETERANS SUPPORT GROUPS

Bank of America has announced a fundraising initiative called Express Your Thanks to benefit veterans of the Wounded Warrior Project and Welcome Back Veterans, an initiative of Major League Baseball Charities.

The project’s goal is to raise $1 million for these charities. Running through Veterans Day (Nov. 11), anyone can participate by taking a photo, creating a video or writing a message of support and sharing it on bankofamerica.com/troopthanks. They also can post on Twitter with the hashtag #troopthanks. For every message posted, Bank of America will donate $1 to Wounded Warriors and Welcome Back Veterans.

SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN OPEN OFFERS FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITY

The Shriners Hospitals for Children Open offers the opportunity for local charities and schools to raise funds for their programs by selling daily ticket vouchers to the 2013 tournament, scheduled for Oct. 14-20 at TPC Summerlin, 1700 Village Center Circle.

By selling tickets to the annual PGA tournament through the Tickets for Charity and Tickets for Schools programs, organizations retain 100 percent of the proceeds. Participating organizations can include parent-teacher associations, sports clubs, academic clubs and local nonprofits.

Last year’s program raised more than $30,000 to support more than 30 local nonprofits in addition to assisting more than 25 school systems to defeat budget cuts. Merryhill School’s parent-teacher organization led the participating schools last year in raising $2,700 for their programs. Additionally, the International Public Safety Leadership & Ethics Institute sold more than 300 tickets to the tournament to raise $3,220.

Programs interested in participating should contact Stephanie Maes at 702-873-1010 or smaes@shrinershospitals
open.com.

For more information, visit
shrinershospitalsopen.com.

HELP OF SOUTHERN NEVADA LAUNCHES BOTTLED WATER PROGRAM FOR HOMELESS

HELP of Southern Nevada invites the community to be part of its HELP2O campaign, which donates bottled water to the homeless.

Patrons can donate water at any Las Vegas-area Whole Foods Market through Aug. 31. For every bottle of Real Water brand purchased at Whole Foods Market during the campaign, the Nevada-based Real Water company will donate a bottle of Real Water.

Collection points for donated water include: Whole Foods Fort Apache, 8855 W. Charleston Blvd.; Whole Foods Tenaya, 7250 W. Lake Mead Blvd.; Whole Foods Town Square, 6689 Las Vegas Blvd. South; and Whole Foods Henderson, 100 S. Green Valley Parkway.

Bottled water donations can be purchased in-store and donated or purchased elsewhere and dropped off. The water will be collected on a regular basis and distributed to area homeless.

Additionally, monetary donations can be made with HELP of Southern Nevada change jars at all four Whole Foods Market locations or by submitting a donation through the nonprofit’s website at helpsonv.org.

MDA SEEKS VOLUNTEERS FOR AUGUST CAMP

The Muscular Dystrophy Association is looking for volunteer counselors and medical professionals to care for children with muscular dystrophy and related diseases at the Southern Nevada MDA Summer Camp, slated for Aug. 4-10 at Apple Canyon Center in Mountain Center, Calif.

Volunteer counselors must be at least 16. Campers’ ages range from 6 to 17. Each counselor is a companion to an MDA camper, helping him with camp activities (sports, horseback riding, arts and crafts, etc.) and day-to-day activities (eating, bathing and dressing).

Also, the association is seeking physicians, nurses, emergency medical technicians, physical therapists and other medical professionals to volunteer for the camp’s medical staff. Medical staff members supervise and maintain the health and well-being of all camp participants.

To volunteer, contact the local MDA office by visiting mda.org/locate.

AREA GROCERY DELIVERY SERVICE OFFERS PINK MILK

Winder Farms, a grocery home delivery company based in southwest Las Vegas, will go pink for Susan G. Komen for the Cure by raising money and awareness for breast cancer screening, treatment programs and research. Through Oct. 31, Winder Farms is set to donate a portion of the proceeds from its Strawberry Milk to the local affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Winder Farms Strawberry Milk is made with reduced fat milk and comes from cows not treated with artificial growth hormones or antibiotics.

For more information, visit winderfarms.com. Sign up using the promotional KOMENSN13, and Winder Farms will donate an additional $25 to the charity.

TRAVEL CLUB TO MEET AT TAP HOUSE

The Las Vegas Single Social Travel Club for Mature Adults invites prospective members to its meetings, which are scheduled for 7 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of the month at the Tap House, 5589 W. Charleston Blvd.

The meet-and-greet portion is set to start at 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room. Discussions focus on day trips, local events, in-state and out-of-state traveling, cruises and international traveling. A guest speaker frequently is featured. The meeting usually closes at about 8 p.m., when appetizers are served and the group mingles. For more information, call 888-324-2028.

SOLARI HOSPICE SEEKING VOLUNTEERS

Solari Hospice Care, 5550 S. Jones Blvd., is looking for volunteers to aid with day-to-day operations and patient well-being. Volunteers bring companionship to people in the final months and weeks of life, often when people find themselves cut off from the community, isolated and alone. They bring respite to family caregivers who are caring for dying loved ones. Sometimes volunteers share a special knowledge or hobby, such as speaking a second language or playing music. Solari also uses volunteers to answer phones, assist with receptionist duties or perform light secretarial work.

For more information, call Shari Diebold at 702-870-0000.

SOLARI HOSPICE OFFERING FREE BEREAVEMENT SESSIONS

Solari Hospice Foundation, 5550 S. Jones Blvd., offers free weekly bereavement support groups from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays.

For more information, call 702-870-0000 or visit solarihospice
foundation.org.

MEN’S CHORAL GROUP PLANS
WEEKLY MEETINGS

The Silver Statesmen Chorus invites men of all ages to join its group. The chorus rehearses at 7 p.m. each Thursday at Christ The King Catholic Community, 4925 S. Torrey Pines Drive.

For more information, visit silverstatesmen.com.

HOSPITAL NEEDS VOLUNTEERS

Spring Valley Hospital Medical Center, 5400 S. Rainbow Blvd., is looking for volunteers to help at its facility. For more information, contact marketing director Naomi Jones at 702-853-3308 or naomi.jones@uhsinc.com.