Jason Mraz to Headline Annual INSPIRE Concert May 18; All Proceeds Benefit the Sands Cares Accelerator Program

Las Vegas Sands Welcomes Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth as an Accelerator Member, Joining the Marty Hennessy Inspiring Children Foundation as Concert Beneficiaries
Mar 23, 2018 5:05 PM ET

LAS VEGAS, March 23, 2018 – Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) is hosting Grammy award-winning artist Jason Mraz for a charity concert celebration at The Venetian Theatre on May 18 as part of the second annual INSPIRE event presented by Sands Cares, with all proceeds from ticket sales benefiting Sands Cares Accelerator Program Members. 

Las Vegas Sands also announced that Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth (NPHY) has become the second nonprofit organization invited into the Accelerator Program, joining the Marty Hennessy Inspiring Children Foundation (ICF). The two at-risk youth organizations will be beneficiaries of INSPIRE, which is being underwritten by Sands Cares to help Accelerator Program members increase their impact on the local community.

Headlining the benefit concert, Mraz has quietly amassed a diverse and avid fan base throughout the world. Since getting his start in San Diego coffee houses, he’s brought his positive message and soulful, folk-pop sound to rapt audiences through his vibrant recordings, humorous live performances and philanthropic efforts.  Along the way, Mraz has earned numerous platinum certifications and made pop history with his record-breaking classic single, “I’m Yours.” His single “I Won’t Give Up,” won two Grammy Awards, as well as the prestigious Songwriter Hall of Fame Hal David Award. A dedicated artist and gentleman farmer, Mraz is a committed global citizen through impassioned social activism and philanthropic efforts that span from environmental advocacy to ardent support for human rights.

INSPIRE is the signature fund-raising event for the Sands Cares Accelerator Program, a community partnership in which Las Vegas Sands makes a longer-term investment in promising nonprofit organizations that have the potential to expand service and grow in size with the resources of a committed corporate catalyst. Accelerator members enter the program for three years and receive funding, in-kind services, mentoring, volunteer support and other opportunities, such as proceeds from INSPIRE. The company created the Sands Cares Accelerator Program to build on the entrepreneurial and philanthropic legacy of founder, chairman and CEO Sheldon G. Adelson.

“We hope that joining ICF in the Accelerator program will have a great impact on NPHY’s ability to address Southern Nevada’s significant youth homelessness problem,” said Ron Reese, senior vice president of global communications and corporate affairs at Las Vegas Sands. “Our two Accelerator members complement each other very well, in terms of putting at-risk youth on a positive trajectory. If you care about helping our community’s most vulnerable young people, INSPIRE is the place to be on May 18.”

NPHY has provided Southern Nevada’s homeless youth with help, hope and opportunities to rebuild their lives, guiding them toward a path of self-sufficiency with access to a range of services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  Through outreach, emergency shelter, independent living and other programs to assist their transition out of homelessness, the organization meets the needs of homeless youth at various stages in their journeys. 

“Becoming an Accelerator member and being part of INSPIRE is a game changer for NPHY and a tremendous opportunity to raise our community’s awareness about the significant youth homelessness problem in Las Vegas and Clark County,” said Arash Ghafoori, executive director of NPHY. “As Sands is helping us catalyze a movement to end youth homelessness in Southern Nevada, we hope that through our efforts more people will realize that youth homelessness is one of our region’s biggest problems, and that our youth deserve the commitment of the collective community to find real solutions.”

Las Vegas/Clark County has the nation’s third largest unaccompanied homeless youth population among major U.S. metropolitan areas, with more than 90 percent living unsheltered – the second highest rate in the nation. NPHY focuses on keeping youth in school, starting them in the workforce and working toward independent living.  Like NPHY, ICF assists at-risk youth with its unique focus on building life skills and providing leadership development to help them achieve beyond their previously limited beliefs for the potential of their lives.  ICF has mastered a 95-percent rate of college scholarships for youth in the organization’s full-time leadership program, with many entering prestigious universities. 

“Being part of the Accelerator Program and the beneficiary of INSPIRE this past year has made a huge impact on our organization,” said Ryan Wolfington, founder, ICF. “Thanks to Sands Cares, we’ve been able to expand our staff, increase our services and build our organization’s foundation toward a more promising future.” 

INSPIRE Event & Ticket Information

INSPIRE is being underwritten by Sands Cares, the corporate giving program of Las Vegas Sands Corp. and its properties, The Venetian and The Palazzo.  General admission tickets go on sale Friday, March 23, at Venetian.com, in-person at any Venetian | Palazzo box office, or by phone at 702-414-9000.  VIP packages are available through the charitable beneficiaries by contacting the Marty Hennessy Inspiring Children Foundation at 702-767-7531 or manager@inspiringchildren.net; or Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth at 702-383-1332 or events@nphy.org. For more information, visit http://venetian.com/inspire2018.

About Las Vegas Sands Corp.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) is the world's pre-eminent developer and operator of world-class Integrated Resorts that feature luxury hotels; best-in-class gaming; retail; dining and entertainment; Meetings, Incentives, Convention and Exhibition (MICE) facilities; and many other business and leisure amenities.  We pioneered the MICE-driven Integrated Resort, a unique, industry-leading and extremely successful model that serves both the business and leisure tourism markets.

Our properties include The Venetian and The Palazzo resorts and Sands Expo in Las Vegas, Sands Bethlehem in Eastern Pennsylvania, and the iconic Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Through majority ownership in Sands China Ltd., LVS owns a portfolio of properties on the Cotai Strip in Macao, including The Venetian Macao, The Plaza and Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Sands Cotai Central and The Parisian Macao, as well as the Sands Macao on the Macao Peninsula.

LVS is dedicated to being a good corporate citizen, anchored by the core tenets of delivering a great working environment for 50,000 team members worldwide, driving impact through its Sands Cares corporate giving program and leading innovation with the company’s award-winning Sands ECO360 global sustainability program. To learn more, please visit www.sands.com.

About the Marty Hennessy Inspiring Children Foundation

The Marty Hennessy Inspiring Children Foundation takes at-risk youth off the streets and into greatness. The Foundation works to inspire youth by helping them create a vision for their life, where they can develop their strengths through project-driven learning, mentoring, apprenticeships, academics, and athletics. The program asks children to "earn their way" and to "discover their passions" by helping them create and execute quarterly business plans. Through this process, the leadership and character development program arms youth with a "psychology for life," using mindfulness curriculum, that prepares them mentally, emotionally, and physically to live happy, driven and inspired lives.  For more information, visit http://www.inspiringchildren.net/.

About Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth

NPHY is the most comprehensive service provider for the thousands of homeless youth in Southern Nevada, serving hundreds of youth through its core programs and touching the lives of thousands more through outreach each year. NPHY’s programs stabilize homeless teens’ lives, meeting their immediate needs and providing a safe, supportive environment and a path to self-sufficiency. Through its work with homeless youth, NPHY creates productive, healthy adults who contribute to society. Strengthening and complementing its high-quality direct services for homeless youth, NPHY is dedicated to advocating for the Vegas Valley’s homeless youth population and serves as a leader in systems-level efforts to eliminate homelessness among Nevada’s youth. For more information or to support our life-changing work for homeless youth, please visit www.nphy.org.

Contacts:

Valerie Colapret
Valerie.Colapret@sands.com
702-414-2268