Las Vegas businesses open wallets for victims

Friday, Sept. 14, 2001 | 9:49 a.m.

A gift of a few dollars here, a free bus ride home to a stranded tourist there, a million dollars here, a million dollars there -- every little bit helps.

Corporate Las Vegas, as well as thousands of local individuals, are pitching in to raise millions of dollars for the victims of Tuesday's acts of terrorism in New York City and Washington, D.C.

At least two gaming companies and a Southern Nevada natural gas supplier each have pledged or donated $1 million through charitable organizations:

* MGM MIRAGE, which operates several Las Vegas gaming properties, including the MGM, Treasure Island and the Mirage, pledged $1 million to the Southern Nevada chapter of the American Red Cross to help victims of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

* Park Place Entertainment Corp., which operates several Las Vegas gaming properties, including Caesars Palace, Bally's and the Las Vegas Hilton, pledged $1 million to a charity that had not been announced as of this morning. The money is earmarked for the families of the rescuers who were killed when the towers collapsed.

But others with far fewer resources also are doing what they can to help.

United Nissan transported more than 100 stranded tourists to Los Angeles and San Diego via 45-passenger and 15-passenger buses Thursday. The car dealer also planned to send at least 200 more people home by buses to Los Angeles and San Francisco late this afternoon.

General Manager Don Forman said people can call (702) 207-8000 to arrange a bus ride. The program could be extended beyond Friday, officials said, noting that between 2 and 3 p.m. Thursday more than 300 calls were received inquiring about the free rides.

Members of the Las Vegas Rotary Club voted unanimously Thursday to donate $10,000 to a relief fund for the families of the emergency service personnel who were killed attempting to rescue the victims of the World Trade Center attack.

Weight Watchers of Las Vegas Inc. has pledged to donate 100 percent of the proceeds from meetings Thursday and Friday to the American Red Cross, said spokeswoman Andreah Davi Werner.

And there are others who are putting on shows, coordinating collection drives and doing generally anything they can to help New York dig out from the worst terrorist attack in history.

"What better organization to funnel money through than the Red Cross?" said MGM-MIRAGE Chairman Terrence Lanni at a news conference Thursday to announce his company's gift. "The $1 million on behalf of our employees and customers (will) help these poor people at this difficult time."

Cathy Tisdale, CEO of the Southern Nevada chapter of the American Red Cross, called the donation the largest single gift ever to the American Red Cross from a Las Vegas company. And, she said, it comes at a time when Red Cross officials in New York badly need it.

"The scale of this act is so enormous that we cannot put a dollar figure on what the Red Cross will spend, but it could run in the tens of millions of dollars," Tisdale said. "This gift can be put in the bank now to help. It couldn't have come at a better time."

Debbie Munch, spokeswoman for Park Place, said the tragedy has brought the people of Las Vegas and the entire United States "much closer to the people of New York."

"Our hearts go out to those rescue workers who, with little regard for their own well-being, ran into the towers and started doing everything they could to rescue people, only to lose their lives when the buildings collapsed," she said. "This gift is in addition to our company-wide blood drive."

Gena Satori of the local United Way said Wadlington's gift, as well as money raised from United Way National Corporate Leadership companies, local organizations and individuals, will go a long way to assisting victims and their families.

Some others who are helping out:

* The Las Vegas Security Chiefs Association is coordinating an effort to assist the families of the hundreds of police, fire, security and emergency services workers who were killed. A benefit fund is being organized in New York City.

The organization is requesting all security and emergency services personnel to consider organizing efforts within their respective properties and departments to make a donation. Local security departments and emergency service workers who want to participate can mail a check to the Las Vegas Security Chiefs Association, P.O. Box 907, Las Vegas, NV 89125-0000.

* The Derek Daly Performance Driving Academy at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway is hosting a fundraiser 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. For a $25 donation, professional racing instructors will drive laps at full racing speed with guests strapped in the passenger seat of BMW roadsters. For more information call 643-2126.

* The Boulevard mall has set up a collection site for donations to the American Red Cross. It is set up at the Customer Service Senter inside the west main entrance.

* Colonial Bank's Nevada region has set up a relief fund for injured emergency workers and their families. Cash contributions can be made at any bank branch, and visitors to the branches can pick up an American flag decal.