Originally posted in Las Vegas Inc Las Vegas Sun | July 25, 2024
The Vegas Inc Angel Awards honor local leaders and organizations that enrich Southern Nevada through their generosity and philanthropy. These honorees represent the efforts of many to nurture, provide for, care for and heal the vulnerable in the community.
The Las Vegas Valley is a special and unique place and its residents have been known to be strong and resilient. As members of a shared community, Southern Nevadans can continue to join together to foster a community of belonging through service and philanthropy.
Humanitarian of the Year: Kim Frank
President, Vegas Golden Knights Foundation and President, Folded Flag Foundation
The Vegas Golden Knights have been a force for unification in Las Vegas since the team’s first season in 2017. During this time, Kim Frank began working in the marketing department, where she helped fortify the relationship between the team and the community. She orchestrated many meaningful outreach initiatives during those pivotal years before transitioning to the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation in 2019.
Serving as the foundation president, Frank upholds the organization’s three key pillars of giving back by providing support for education and youth sports, military and first responders, and health and wellness. She also facilitates and implements ideas that Vegas Golden Knight players have for serving the community. Her leadership brings these initiatives to life, while increasing their reach and efficacy.
The Vegas Golden Knights Foundation has generated $1.7 million in donations for more than 80 local organizations in the past year. Additionally, Frank and her team awarded more than $230,000 in grants, led a toy drive, and coordinated player appearances, including hospital visits and food distributions.
Further extending her philanthropic reach, Frank serves as the president of the Folded Flag Foundation, created by Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley, which provides educational scholarships and grants to family members of fallen military and government personnel.
Frank says she draws inspiration from the enthusiasm with which Vegas Golden Knights players, staff and families give back to the community. “To me, community is the shared passion we all have for this place we call home and the commitment to make it a better place for everyone living here.”
Nonprofit of the Year: Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth
“No young person should have to live on the streets,” is the motto and mission of the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth. In the past year, the nonprofit has upheld this commitment to at-risk and homeless youths by making contact with more than 13,000 individuals. Further, more than 10,000 have visited the Drop-In Center seeking services, 138 were provided shelter through the Emergency Shelter Program, and 45 were assisted in accessing transitional housing programs.
“They say it takes a village to raise a child — to us, community means that it’s all of our responsibility to step up and ensure that no young person falls through the cracks, including the youth who, through no fault of their own, find themselves without the support they need to thrive,” said Arash Ghafoori, CEO of the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth.
The organization recently opened the Outreach, Volunteer and Operation Center that significantly increased the size of its Drop-In Center campus. It also reaches thousands of people every year through Thriving Thursday and Feel Good Friday campaigns, and launched the Statewide Homelessness Summit to connect regions in Nevada through a shared purpose to end youth homelessness.
Since the 2017 launch of the Movement to End Youth Homelessness in Nevada, the organization has worked with community leaders and youths to create the Southern Nevada Plan to End Youth Homelessness, pass two state laws, raise awareness for an often-invisible population and bring solution-minded community members together.
Philanthropic Business of the Year (Private): San Manuel Gaming & Hospitality Authority, Palms Cares
In December 2021, the San Manuel Gaming & Hospitality Authority acquired the Palms and reopened it for business in April 2022. Since the reopening, the casino’s philanthropic branch, Palms Cares, has awarded more than $4 million in grants to local nonprofits and Palms team members have donated more than 700 hours to partner organizations.
The San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority and Palms Cares prioritize causes that support education, empowerment, the preservation of cultural traditions, and healthy and resilient communities. They have supported local organizations including Catholic Charities, CORE, Las Vegas Indian Center, Goodie Two Shoes Foundation, Noah’s Animal House, the Clark County Public Education Foundation, Nevada School of the Arts and Volunteers in Medicine Southern Nevada.
In addition to grants awarded to nonprofits, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians has donated more than $10.3 million to educational institutions, including the UNLV Boyd School of Law and William F. Harrah College of Hospitality for programs in tribal law and tribal gaming operations.
Staying true to the cultural values of the tribe, San Manuel Gaming & Hospitality Authority is proud to uplift the communities in which it works. “Community encompasses interconnectedness, shared values, collective responsibility, and a shared vision for the local population,” said Latisha Prieto, chairperson of the San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority Board. “Our value of stewardship requires that we take care of our people, land, animals, plant life, the environment and the various ecosystems that are part of this territory.”
Volunteer of the Year: Troy Moser
Principal and Architect, Moser Architecture Studio
In 1997, Troy Moser joined the board of the Discovery Children’s Museum, where he has continued to volunteer for nearly three decades. During this time, he has held positions on the development committee, the executive committee, the building committee, and served on event committees for functions including the Golf Classic and Royal Tea.
When the Discovery Children’s Museum moved to its current location at Symphony Park, Moser donated his time and expertise to the planning and designing of the new building. “I believe that I’ve been blessed with talents and treasures so that I can give back to our community,” Moser said. “I quickly learned that I had landed on the board of trustees so that I could lend my design and leadership talents to Discovery as we developed plans to relocate the museum.”
Moser is dedicated to the museum’s mission to instill in its visitors a lifelong love of learning. He actively promotes the museum and has personally given more than $165,000 to the organization. “Community means family to me. I believe that we should all be working together to make our community a happier, safer, more welcoming place,” Moser said.
Foundation of the Year: The Brett Torino Foundation
The Brett Torino Foundation has championed continuing education, environmental preservation and active community involvement for nearly 40 years. Brett Torino, successful real estate developer and ultra-endurance triathlete, created his namesake foundation to engender partnerships with local nonprofits and organizations, including the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Foundation, Sunshine Nevada, Save Red Rock and the Clark County School District.
In 2017, the Brett Torino Foundation initiated the Save Lovell Canyon project, aimed to restore the long-neglected area neighboring Red Rock Canyon. With help from partners including the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Clark County Commission, Las Vegas Metro Police Department, Sierra Club, Save Red Rock, Get Outdoors Nevada and Friends of Nevada Wilderness, the foundation developed a plan to repair years of damage caused by littering and the use of off-road vehicles, explosives and firearms. This reclamation project also includes establishing an ecological sanctuary and collaborating with government entities to protect the land.
Torino Ranch, the headquarters of the Brett Torino Foundation, is located in Lovell Canyon and hosts a multitude of programs and summer camps each year. These summer camps serve children battling critical illnesses and children experiencing physical or developmental challenges. Since its creation, more than 19,000 campers and 17,000 volunteers have experienced the joy of nature at this specially preserved haven.
Philanthropic Business of the Year (Public): NV Energy
To determine how the philanthropic spending of the NV Energy Foundation should be prioritized, NV Energy surveys its customers to ensure the community receives the support it wants and needs. These needs are met through charitable grants and sponsorships, as well as donations to causes that are determined by employees and the public. Areas of focus include education, workforce development, community well-being, utility assistance, affordable housing, public safety and food security.
Each year, the NV Energy Foundation and NV Energy employees contribute to local nonprofits through financial and in-kind donations, and tens of thousands of volunteer service hours. Since 2001, more than 2,000 Nevada students have received funding to pursue higher education through Powerful Partnership scholarships. The foundation also provided $800,000 in utility assistance that aided nearly 4,000 households in 2023.
As the NV Energy Foundation serves Southern Nevadans, it emphasizes equity and seeks to serve individuals in underrepresented demographics. In 2023, more than 76% of financial contributions to nonprofits were given to organizations that serve and support diverse communities.
Cultural Advocate of the Year: Christina Barr
Executive Director, Nevada Humanities
Established more than 50 years ago, Nevada Humanities creates innovative cultural programming, connects people and celebrates the Nevada experience. In her role as executive director, Christina Barr, a nationally recognized folklorist, has doubled the organization’s capacity and expanded its impact.
“My work as a folklorist has shown me that community is the heart and soul of being human,” Barr said. “At Nevada Humanities, we know the humanities to be elemental—they are how each of us consider, document, express and live the human experience.”
To uplift the diverse voices of the Las Vegas community, the Nevada Humanities Program Gallery hosts the Nevada Humanities Exhibition Series, showcasing the artistic and creative work of local artists through six exhibitions every year. “We produce programs that highlight local stories and local voices. Our focus is to amplify the hometown Nevada experience,” Barr said.
Barr currently serves on the advisory board for the Journal of American Folklore, on the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority Art Advisory Committee, on the national Legislative Committee for the Federation of State Humanities Councils, on the America 250 Nevada Planning Committee and as chair for the Culture Conservation Corps Board of Trustees.
“My advice to people wanting to get involved is to follow your own heart and passions and start with your own community of like-minded people,” Barr said.
