Category: Activity

Activity, Giving Back

#Chefs4Vegas Host a Fresh Food Drive Weekly for Locals

Aug 8, 2020 , , , , , by Jalyn T

Local Las Vegas Chefs and their families come together weekly to distribute fresh foods to Las Vegas local and neighboring communities.

The kindness shown by Las Vegas locals has only grown since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Locals are taking time out of their days to come out and make sure that community members have essential food items. 

Chefs4Vegas is a recently formed group of local chefs that organize weekly food distributions to support the Las Vegas community.  Thanks to a grant from the USDA, Get Fresh, a local produce vendor built 25 pound boxes of fresh produce to compliment the partnership with Chefs4Vegas. On distribution days,  deliveries are made by 8am for the event to start promptly at 9am. This weekly event is set to serve up to 300 families in a drive by, contactless setting.

Volunteers handing out children’s coloring books

“Our overall goal is to help our community through the best way chefs know how, through food.” Said Chef Jon Batista, President of Chefs4Vegas and owner of the Your Panadas food truck. 

To date, Chefs4Vegas has delivered over 15,000 boxes (188 tons) of fresh produce to churches, community centers, families, and other key sites experiencing food insecurities.

Chefs4Vegas has now been granted a 501c3, which acknowledged them as a full-fledged non-profit organization. Recognized by Clark County Commissioner, Tick Segerblom, the chefs were awarded a proclamation as a testament to the dedication of the entire group helping locals in a time of crisis. 

June 24th was another big day for Chefs4Vegas as they traveled to McGill, Nevada to set up a food pantry for that community. They served over 1,200 community members including members in Ely and White Pine County. 

The novel Coronavirus disease, COVID-19 is creating an evolving situation with varied impacts felt in our city and around the world. That being said, it is crucial that organizations like Chefs4Vegas continue to carry out these charitable events. 

Please support their initiative by following them on social media and donating to their mission.

Please share your comments about Chefs4Vegas and their supportive efforts in the comment section below.

Activity

Las Vegas Locals Push to Get Unstuck!

Dec 7, 2019 , , , by Jalyn T

Las Vegas locals gather at the West Charleston Library to share personal stories of tribulation, recovery and strength.

Raquel Sharper – Event Speaker

Just like many around the world, as Las Vegas locals we learn to live and grow through our different life tragedies and not to stay in the stage of feeling stuck. In 2016, a group was formed for individuals to come together and encourage one another locally in Las Vegas. This group is called the Unstuck Happiness community. The Unstuck Happiness community features a Happiness Conference for locals to come, meet others and share how they have overcome their hardships.

The creator of the Unstuck Happiness Conference, John Polish invites speakers around the city that have powerful stories to share about how they pushed through tragedy to follow their dreams. This conference allowed speakers to share the exact strategies they used to move beyond difficult the circumstances they have faced.

John Polish – Unhappiness Conference Founder

“I met others who craved to know that they weren’t alone. This sparked the idea to have a conference to create this community of support, here in Las Vegas.” Said creator, John Polish.

This event is set for attendees to interact with speakers and other attendees for opportunities to build lasting relationships in the community.

Ashley King was an attendee at a previous conference and was inspired to share her own story at this year’s event. She spoke at this current conference about a great tragedy in her life and how moving to the Las Vegas area and being apart of the Unstuck community has helped her break through.

Ashley King – Event Speaker

“Seeing the different perspectives and hearing the stories of others allowed me to step outside myself and see life through someone else’s experience.” Says Ashley King. “This led to me being open to sharing my own story this year.”

The Unstuck Happiness Conferences brings together a group of speakers within the Las Vegas area who have all overcome tremendous adversity and have emerged as an inspiration to others. Whether an attendee or a spectator, this experience is sure to get you Unstuck.

Please share your comments about the Unstuck Happiness Conference in the comments section below.

Activity

Las Vegas Locals Learn to Make their Own Brand of Wine!

Oct 22, 2019 , , , by Jalyn T

During October, around 5,000 guests visit the Vegas Valley Winery to learn about and create a barrel of their very own homemade wine.

*FYI: No feet are used to crush grapes, there are machines for that!

Every October, wine enthusiasts gather in Henderson, NV at the Vegas Valley Winery, the first and only winery in the Las Vegas Valley. This year 300 guests participated daily in the crushing, fermentation and barreling process of their very own brand of wine. Over the course of 28 days starting from noon until midnight, visitors attend Grape Expectations Las Vegas, the only winemaking school of its kind in town. Here they learned the ins and outs and participated in making wine with professional sommeliers.

8-10 guests, brand new and experienced alike form a group to make a barrel; which consists of 240 bottles of wine. They split the cost and come to a consensus of what type of wine they’re going to make. Staff at the Vegas Valley Winery make it fun and fair to choose. Each group member brings a bottle of wine to taste for a goal of duplicating the winning bottle to begin the process.

It takes nine months to process going until the wine is at its finest. Not only do they make the wine, they design and print their own labels as well.

Fun Fact: every household in America is allowed two barrels of wine, per person per year for their own personal use, tax free.

At the Vegas Valley Winery, visitors create homemade wine in a professional area and the tools are handled by professional winemakers.

“It is homemade wine made professionally in a common environment.” Says KJ, The Professor. “That means you’re not doing it in a bathtub, it’s the real deal.”

KJ “The Professor” – The Science of Wine class

The founder of the Grape Expectations Wine School, is a very well known food and beverage connoisseur in Las Vegas, named Charlie Peters. He thought it would be a great idea to start a wine school in the area. It took a lot of work and time to come to fruition, but it has become a true gem and one of a kind experience within the city.

Vegas Valley Winery’s tasting room is the evolution of their sister business next door, Grape Expectations. The doors opened on December 8th, 2017. It was not only made possible due to the hard work of Grape Expectations & Vegas Valley Winery staff, but also due to the tremendous support of loyal winemakers. 

During the year, many events take place within the Vegas Valley Winery, from wine and yoga, to wine and painting, to live music, and much more! Click here to find out about upcoming events.

You may book a tour of the winery or enjoy a taste of Nevada made wine at the wine bar. It is an intimate atmosphere for a unique and special date night, social meeting and even a book club or card club meeting. Stop by and explore today!

Please share your thoughts about the Vegas Valley Winery and the winemaking process in the comment section below.