Since 1998, leadership students at ChoiceCenter Leadership University have been making a difference in the communities where they live by creating monthly legacy projects to benefit the Las Vegas community.
Students donate approximately $3 million annually in goods and services to local charities, and always under extreme time constraints of typically 7 to 14 days from conception to completion. Below are news clip highlights of recent make-a-difference stretch projects.
Where it began: ChoiceCenter’s Community Service Projects.
November 2008
Coverage: The Las Vegas Sun
Project: Miracle on Main Street
The Stretch: LV87 Leadership raised $57,000 to purchase 6 semi-trucks of food from Feed the Children. They fed 1,500 families of 4 for a week at Thanksgiving and provided a one month supply of toiletries to each family.
Length of Stretch: 4 days
September 2008
Coverage: The Lake Powell Chronicle
Project: Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth
The Stretch: LV86 Leadership students created care packages of food, clothing and books for homeless children in Nevada.
Length of Stretch: 14 days
August 2008
Coverage: The Las Vegas Review-Journal
Project: St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
The Stretch: LV85 Leadership completed construction on three projects to house a new program for pregnant and parenting teens. The renovated buildings supported 12 mothers as young as 10-years-old in a new on-site parenting program.
Length of Stretch: 14 days
June 2008
Coverage: ABC Channel 13 News
Project: Agape Villa foster home makeover
The Stretch: LV84 Leadership students performed an Extreme Home Makeover on two houses in Agape Villa that serve as transitional homes and treatment centers for foster kids at Child Haven. ChoiceCenter leaders sourced donations for all new kitchen equipment, bathroom fixtures, cabinets, and flooring.
Length of Stretch: 14 days
Make-a-difference stretch Print coverage.
September 2009
Coverage: CBS Channel 8
Project: Pat Diskin Elementary School Makeover
The Stretch: LV96 Leadership raised $115,000 to transform this local elementary school where 68% of children live below the poverty level. As part of the project, ChoiceCenter leaders created a parent resource room where students can get clothes, food, hygiene essentials and school supplies they cannot afford.
Length of Stretch: 10 days
June 2009
Coverage: CBS Channel 8
Project: Rex Bell Elementary School Makeover
The Stretch: LV93 Leadership completed a $253,000 extreme school makeover at this local elementary school where more than 70% of kids live below the poverty line and many go home to shelters. The makeover included a donation of 35,000 books to launch a new parent/student reading program.
Length of Stretch: 7 days
June 2009
Coverage: ABC Channel 13
Project: Rex Bell Elementary School Makeover
The Stretch: LV93 Leadership completed a $253,000 extreme school makeover at this local elementary school where more than 70% of kids live below the poverty line and many go home to shelters. The makeover included a donation of 35,000 books to launch a new parent/student reading program.
Length of Stretch: 7 days
November 2009
Coverage: ABC Channel 13
Project: Giver Game “Big Give” Launch
The Stretch: A group of 40 ChoiceCenter Leadership students and members of the public gathered at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009. Givers were challenged to collect 20,000 items for Child Haven – a shelter for abused women and children in Las Vegas – in just 4 hours. They exceeded their stretch and collected 55,000 items. Big Gives are held monthly on Saturday mornings at ChoiceCenter.
Length of Stretch: 4 hours
November 2008
Coverage: FOX Channel 5
Project: Miracle on Main Street
The Stretch: ChoiceCenter’s LV87 Leadership team raised $57,000 to purchase 6 semi-trucks of food from Feed the Children. They fed 1,500 families of 4 for a week at Thanksgiving and provided a one month supply of toiletries to each family.
Length of Stretch: 3 weeks
FEBRUARY 2010
Coverage: ABC Channel 13
Project: Giver Game for Haiti Relief
The Stretch: With the earthquake in Haiti having just devastated the region, Big Give Saturday’s make-a-difference stretch had a goal to collect 10,000 items for the people of Haiti in 4 hours. Givers collected nearly 30,000 items.
Length of Stretch: 4 hours
FEBRUARY 2010
Coverage: NBC Channel 3
Project: Giver Game for Haiti Relief
The Stretch: With the earthquake in Haiti having just devastated the region, Big Give Saturday’s make-a-difference stretch had a goal to collect 10,000 items for the people of Haiti in 4 hours. Givers collected nearly 30,000 items.
Length of Stretch: 4 hours
MARCH 2010
Coverage: CBS Channel 8
Project: Giver Game for homeless students attending Pat Diskin Elementary School in Las Vegas.
The Stretch: On Saturday, March 6, Givers gathered to support students attending Pat Diskin. With a goal to collect 10,000 items, the group exceeded expectations, collecting 29,070 items for the school’s growing homeless population.
Length of Stretch:
4 hours
APRIL 2010
Coverage: FOX NEWS Channel 5 - Las Vegas
Project: Giver Game for Street Teens
The Stretch: This month’s BIG GIVE Saturday was a challenge to collect 10,000 items for homeless teenagers ages 12 - 21 in Las Vegas. Givers exceeded their goal and collected 12,000 items of food, clothing, gift cards, tents and hygiene products.
Length of Stretch:
4 hours
JUNE 2010
Coverage: FOX NEWS Channel 5 - Las Vegas
Project: Giver Game for Seniors
The Stretch: This month’s BIG GIVE Saturday was a challenge to collect 10,000 items for seniors living in Section 8 housing at Somerset Commons. Givers hosted a Senior Prom with dancing and refreshments when they delivered the items.
Length of Stretch:
4 hours
December 2010
Coverage: FOX NEWS Channel 5 - Las Vegas
Project: Giver Game for Salvation Army Homeless
The Stretch: This month’s BIG GIVE Saturday was a challenge to collect 10,000 hats, gloves, scarfs and hygiene supplies for homeless being served by the Salvation Army.
Length of Stretch:
3 hours
May 2011
Coverage: FOX NEWS Channel 5 - Las Vegas
Project: Giver Game for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
The Stretch: LV111 and LV112 had a goal to create $125,000 for kids with cancer at St. Jude. In 7 days, they collected $137,000.
Length of Stretch:
7 Days
March 2011
Coverage: NBC NEWS Channel 3 - Las Vegas
Project: Giver Game for Japan Tsunami Survivors
The Stretch: This month’s Big Give Saturday was a challenge to collect 10,000 items to make hygiene kits to send to Japan’s tsunami survivors.
Length of Stretch:
3 Hours
