Sunrise/Whitney Neighborhood News

All-Day Skates scheduled

All-day skating sessions are scheduled from noon to 6 p.m. Monday at Crystal Palace, 4680 Boulder Highway. The events include a meal special with two slices of pizza, a soft drink and four video game tokens. Admission is $8 or $9 with skate rental included. Visit skatevegas.com or call 458-7107 for details.

CHILD FOCUS SEEKS SIBLING MENTORS

Child Focus, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reunifying separated brothers and sisters living in foster care, is recruiting sibling mentors to assist with chaperoning events and helping siblings develop the ability to become a healthy family.

Activities are held monthly and vary in topic. For a complete listing of volunteer opportunities, visit childfocusnv.org or call 436-1624.

Park to feature equine events

Southern Nevada Gymkhana plans a show beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday at Horseman's Park, 5800 E. Flamingo Road. For more information, visit southernnevadagymkhana.com.

The Nevada Reined Cow Horse Association also plans a show Saturday at the park. For more information, visit equineeventlv.com or call 455-8206.

Both shows are free for spectators.

stories about cats and dogs
to be told at Sunrise Library

A story time with songs and crafts featuring cats and dogs is scheduled from 10:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the Sunrise Library, 5400 Harris Ave.

For more information, call 507-3900.

RC flyers plan training day

The Las Vegas Remote Control Club plans to host a training day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at William Bennett Field near Sam Boyd Stadium, 6800 E. Russell Road. People interested in finding out more about the hobby are invited to come and see the action . For more information, visit lvrcc.com.

Kids can celebrate Chinese New Year

Celebrate the Year of the Dragon with events at area libraries.

Children 6 to 11 are invited to celebrate Chinese New Year with stories and crafts from 4 to 5 p.m. Thursday at the Sunrise Library, 5400 Harris Ave. For more information, call 507-3900.

Children 11 or younger are invited to celebrate Chinese New Year with stories and crafts from 11:30 a.m. to noon Wednesday at the Whitney Library, 5175 E. Tropicana Ave. For more information, call 507-4010.

UNITED WAY HANDS OUT GIFT CARDS
TO FAMILIES, MILITARY RESERVISTS

The United Way of Southern Nevada surprised 2,000 Las Vegas families and military reservists with $500 gift cards Dec. 22 after receiving a $1 million donation from a Secret Santa, a gaming executive.

Families and military reservists were notified that a special gift was waiting for them at specific locations throughout the Las Vegas Valley, and when they arrived they were presented with the gift cards.

A careful vetting process was put in place to identify the individuals who qualified for the holiday surprise. Some used the money to pay their utility bills and purchase basic food items.

For stories and information on how to become a United Way Secret Santa, visit uwsn.org/secretsanta.

LEARN ABOUT COMPOSTING
AT saturday WORKSHOP

The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension plans to offer a workshop, Composting in Small Spaces, from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Lifelong Learning Center, 8050 Paradise Road.

Learn how to make a balanced compost even if you do not have a large garden spot. Class space is limited to 25, and preregistration is required. There is a $25 fee per class, which covers class materials.

To register, contact Elaine Fagin at fagine@unce.unr.edu or call 257-5573.

Sam's Town to host Anthem competition

For the fourth consecutive year, a local singer could receive an opportunity to perform before the start of the Sam's Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Race sponsor Sam's Town is hosting an open audition to find a vocalist to sing the "National Anthem" prior to the March 10 NASCAR Nationwide Series event at the speedway.

The first audition is scheduled Saturday at Sam's Town, 5111 Boulder Highway. The top 25 singers chosen will advance to the next round of competition on Jan. 28.

On that day, the local winner will be announced. The local winner will then compete in a "sing off" with a winner from another Sam's Town property at the speedway on March 8 with the winner singing the anthem for the race.

The Jan. 21 auditions are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Registration will open at 9 a.m. Anyone wishing to audition must arrive at Sam's Town before noon on Jan 21. The first 150 applicants are guaranteed an audition.

For more information, contact Aubrey Hudson at 632-8251 or ahall@lvms.com or Holly Spoor at436-8254 or holly.spoor@kvvu.com.