Las Vegans open hearts for Albertson’s

Cheryl Miller

Thursday, June 17, 1999 | 10:41 a.m.

The fund created to aid the families of victims of the June 3 Albertson's shooting has topped $21,000 thanks to a $10,000 contribution from local Lucky supermarket workers and numerous, smaller gifts from Albertson's employees, customers and Las Vegas businesses.

Lucky employees from 26 stores in Las Vegas and New Mexico raised $10,188 in 10 days, Lucky spokeswoman Judy Decker said. Although the companies that own the Lucky and Albertson's chains are merging, the two supermarkets remain local competitors.

"The (Lucky) employees called and wanted to do something for the folks involved in the shooting," Decker said. "It was all employee donations."

The employees' fund-raising efforts match those of Las Vegas residents, who have bought burgers, donated cash and purchased raffle tickets in recent weeks to raise money for the victims' families.

The Albertson's Food & Drug store at 4015 S. Buffalo Drive hosted a barbecue last weekend that generated about $6,000 for Cody Sargent, the 6-year-old son of Dennis Troy Sargent, the night manager of the Sahara Avenue-Valley View Drive Albertson's, who along with three co-workers was killed by a gunman at the supermarket two weeks ago.

"All the stores are real close," and many of the Buffalo Drive employees knew or had worked with the victims at one time, store director Tony Prey said. Vendors donated food for the barbecue, and employees, some of whom were on vacation, volunteered their time to work the sale, Prey said.

"It was just an amazing event," Prey said. The barbecue generated about $6,000 and incredible stories of giving. One longtime customer canceled her vacation to attend, McNiff said. Another woman took several buses across town "to donate what they say were her last $5," he added.

Still other customers offered $200 and $300 for their sandwiches or dropped off $20 without eating anything.

"Las Vegas is known for being a transient town, particularly with all the tourism," McNiff said. "But in my mind, I'm now thoroughly convinced that this is a close-knit community."

Two other Las Vegas-area Albertson's also hosted barbecues, while Southern California stores held root beer float sales that raised more than $3,000. The fund-raisers are being coordinated by local employees, customers and vendors, said Jenny Enochson, a spokeswoman for Albertson's corporate offices in Boise, Idaho.

In addition to fund-raising efforts at local stores, a group of UNLV students has put together a drawing to raise money for the trust fund. Management students Kathy Harris, John Apenbrink, Anne Boshko, Peter Securka, James Gurdison and Celesa Ancheta have accepted hundreds of dollars in donations for tickets for a June 23 drawing that will include prizes donated by several casinos.

The students are required to complete a community service project for a management class, and raising money for the victims' families seemed a natural match, especially for Harris, whose mother is a Lucky employee.

"We were trying to think of something to do that would benefit the community," Harris said. "When the incident at Albertson's occurred, that really hit home for me."