The Governor’s Black-Tie Event continues to be the premier fundraising event in the state of Nevada. Hosted by Olympia Companies SH Charitable Foundation, the 19th Annual Governor’s Black Tie Event kicked off on Thursday, April 11th, and what a blast the three-day celebration was! During this year’s event, headlined by three-time Grammy Award winner Brad Paisley, OCSHCF raised a whopping $1.3 million dollars bringing the total fundraising efforts to over $20 million dollars for local charities.

The second day of the Governor’s Black Tie event saw newly-elected Governor Steve Sislak and Mr. Goett welcome guests to the black-tie reception dinner at Southern Highlands Golf Club, as well as the start of the two-day golf tournament, with the evening ending in a spectacular fireworks display. The tournament wrapped Saturday afternoon with a million-dollar shot competition and closing awards ceremony.

Money raised from the weekend will support nine local charities including Boys and Girls Club of Southern Nevada, Candlelighters, Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation, Children’s Heart Foundation, Assistance League of Las Vegas, Opportunity Village, Andson, Discovery Children’s Museum, and The Folded Flag Foundation.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled about the event and the generosity of our guests,” said Gary Goett, founder of Olympia Companies SH Charitable Foundation and CEO of Olympia Companies, developer of Skye Canyon and Southern Highlands. “We started this in 2001 with a vision to improve the quality of life for women and children in Southern Nevada. Supporting charities that align with our vision is a priority for us at Olympia, and we work very hard to make sure the Governor’s Black-Tie champions this cause. We are grateful for the work of our charity partners and the support of Governor Sislak and this year’s attendees.”

Representatives from Operation Warm Heart delivered a heartfelt message of gratitude to Southern Highlands board members and residents gathered for the master-planned community’s first board meeting of the new year, held January 18, 2018.

Spearheaded by the First Sergeants’ Council of Nellis and Creech Air Force Base, Operation Warm Heart is a private, non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to local airmen and their families.

For more than a decade, Southern Highlands has recognized Operation Warm Heart as its charity of choice, with community events throughout the year—such as the Winter Festival and Tree Lighting—

providing opportunities for residents to make donations and financial contributions to the organization. To date, Southern Highlands has raised nearly $180,000 for Operation Warm Heart.

Outgoing First Sergeants’ Council president Msgt. Jonathan Baysa thanked meeting attendees for their continued support year after year and shared the story of one young airman who received financial support to help feed his family of four, thanks to Southern Highlands.

Added incoming council president Msgt. Jose Sanchez, “There are hundreds of examples that happen throughout the year—it’s not just during the holiday season. Your contributions help throughout the whole year.”

That said, the holidays are still a time when help is in highest demand, and Msgt. Kevin Rice shared statistics with board members to demonstrate the positive impact of their fundraising efforts, which this year resulted in 270 Thanksgiving dinners and a successful Christmas toy drive that collected $75,000 worth of toys and $1,100 in baby clothes for local military families in need.

“[Your support] touches so many people in our small community on the north end of town,” said Rice.

Representatives of Operation Warm Heart also presented board members with a collection of coins bearing the insignia of each unit based at Nellis and Creech. Angela Rock, executive director of the Southern Highlands Charitable Foundation, joined board members Angie Williams, Larry McCullough, DC Graham, Robin Nedza in accepting the coin on behalf of all Southern Highlands residents.

Closets around Southern Highlands are feeling much lighter after the 2018 Spring Community Yard Sale held March 17-18—about three and half tons lighter, to be exact.

The two-day neighborhood yard sale also included a donation drop-off for the Opportunity Village Thrift Store. Southern Highlands residents delivered more than 1,200 lbs of good-quality used furniture, housewares and clothing for the store, which serves the Southern Nevada community both as a retailer and as an employment training center for Opportunity Village clients. Founded in 1954, Opportunity Village is a local not-for-profit organization that assists adults with intellectual and related disabilities.

Capping the weekend’s event, a complimentary mobile shredding station at the Southern Highlands Corporate Center shredded more than three tons of documents. The shredding event allowed individuals to dispose of sensitive materials while keeping their identities safe.

Residents from 30 gated and un-gated communities throughout Southern Highlands participated in the annual event, which was free and open to the entire Las Vegas Valley. In addition to unloading their own unwanted items, participants had the opportunity to uncover new treasures by shopping their neighbors’ wares.