On behalf of everyone involved with Southern Highlands Boys & Girls Club, now and in the exciting future, it is with gratitude and great pride that we announce the plans for the 21,000-square-foot facility located directly north of Goett Family Park. Owned by Southern Highlands Development Corporation and operated by Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas, the Club will serve the youth of the surrounding neighborhoods and act as a base for community activities and meetings. The Club will feature youth education and mentoring programs in a state-of-the-art learning center, physical health and development in a large gymnasium, and additional disciplines in a lounge and media center. We are excited to soon be able to offer the youth of today an avenue in which to explore the opportunities of tomorrow.

Since 2001, the Governor’s Black-Tie Invitational has been a major
supporter of the programs and services Opportunity Village provides to people in our community with severe intellectual disabilities. The Governor’s Black-Tie has contributed a total of $187,500 to help give people who have few options in life the ability to access vocational training, employment, advocacy, day service and social recreation programs they so desperately need. These funds have given us the chance to create a social recreation and arts program and helped to expand two important programs that serve young people with severe intellectual disabilities – Project PRIDE and The Job Discovery Program. With your continued support, we can continue to help people with severe disabilities find their places in our wonderful community.

We are extremely grateful to the committee and sponsors of the Governor’s Black-Tie Invitational for helping us provide clothing to Clark County children in need. Your continued support of Operation School Bell has benefited many children who might not have attended school due to the lack of clothes or shoes. The Southern Highlands Charitable Foundation generously donated $120,000 last year, which allowed us to positively impact 1,200 children with new shoes, two new complete outfits, a warm coat, undergarments, backpack, school supplies, books and grooming kit. The Foundation has made a huge difference in these children’s lives. We sincerely thank you.

The Shade Tree provides safe shelter to homeless and abused women and children and their pets. In October 2007, The Shade Tree opened Noah’s Animal House, an innovative program that allows women to escape abusive situations without leaving behind their pet, eliminating an all-too-common barrier to seeking safety. Noah’s is the only such facility in the western United States to be located on the same property as a women’s shelter. By offering life-changing services that promote stability, dignity and self-reliance including job development, life skills and the means to obtain employment at a living wage, The Shade Tree offers effective solutions to the social and economic problems of homelessness. Please know how grateful we are for your support. Together, we are changing lives.

With over 20 programs, one of our brightest stars is Camp Cartwheel, which welcomes critically ill children and their siblings. This is our oldest program and remains the largest medically supervised camp in the western United States. Camp Cartwheel is a loving community that offers an extraordinary opportunity to influence the lives of young, childhood cancer patients and those with life-threatening illnesses. Camp Cartwheel becomes an intimate group of caring friends who understand each other’s needs, hopes, and fears. These similar circumstances bring an understanding and a growth to the inner spirit of these special children. Thank you for helping the NCCF in celebrating our 12th anniversary of the magic of Camp Cartwheel.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Nevada deeply appreciates Southern Highlands Charitable Foundation’s generous contributions. Looking back at the many wishes your Foundation has granted, we are indeed fortunate to count you as a donor. In fact, 15 wishes were granted by your Foundation in 2007alone. Behind these wishes are brave, sick children for whom time is precious. The fulfillment of these wishes has provided them and their families with a respite during a time of pain and suffering, making the ultimate chapter in the life of a “wish” child more meaningful and less painful. The impact on these children’s lives is immeasurable. For that, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Nevada thanks you for sharing in the power of a wish.

On behalf of everyone at Candlelighters for Childhood Cancer, we would like to thank each of you for your generous support over the years. Donations such as yours are instrumental in helping us provide the vital services necessary for our families. In 2007, Candlelighters provided assistance to 53 newly diagnosed children. Because of your support, Candlelighters can provide help to these families in their time of greatest need. Once again, we thank you for your dedication and support. We want all of you to know that your efforts are truly making a difference for the families of children with cancer. For that we are eternally grateful.

Dedicated to providing educational opportunities and supporting the local community, the Epicurean Charitable Foundation of Las Vegas is comprised of Nevada hospitality executives formed to share knowledge and fellowship. With the assistance provided by the Governor’s Black-Tie Invitational, the Epicurean Charitable Foundation offers college scholarships to Southern Nevada high school graduates interested in pursuing a hospitality career. Thanks to the support of the Governor’s Black-Tie Invitational and other charity events, the Epicurean Charitable Foundation has been able to assist Southern Nevada’s youth in pursuing hotel management and food-and-beverage degree programs.