Dion, Goodman cut ad for flood victims

Thursday, Sept. 4, 2003 | 10:53 a.m.

As hopes recede for federal help for victims of last month's flooding in northwest Las Vegas, the city and the American Red Cross hope to raise $300,000 in donations with an ad campaign featuring Mayor Oscar Goodman and singer Celine Dion.

Dion made a TV commercial with Goodman backstage Wednesday night at Caesars Palace to raise money to assist the Clark County Chapter of the American Red Cross in its flood relief efforts.

The commercial will begin airing today, encouraging donations through Wells Fargo Bank branches (account 3418307090), city officials said.

The city is waiting to see if residents will qualify for Small Business Administration loans after it became clear that damage to Las Vegas' infrastructure from the storm was not sufficient enough to qualify the city for a presidential disaster declaration through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The SBA was in town last week to observe the damage. To qualify for SBA loans, at least 25 or more homes or businesses would have had to suffer insured losses of 40 percent or greater of their fair market replacement value.

Although more than 100 homes were damaged and at least one was destroyed by the flooding, it remains unknown whether the extent of the damage met that federal standard to qualify for such loans.

Goodman said the commercial is necessary so that the city can provide help the federal government has so far failed to furnish.

"It's unfortunate that the federal standards are such that they do not take the sensitivities of people's lives into real important consideration," said Goodman, whose law firm had represented Dion's husband, leading to the contact that got Dion on board for fund-raising efforts.

"The city has had to step up and do what the federal system has not done."

Pete Macias, a national Red Cross spokesman, who is in Las Vegas to assist with flood relief efforts, said damage assessments have been done for more than 100 homes and more than 200 families have been interviewed by Red Cross officials.

"We are estimating that we need $300,000 to provide for those in need," Macias said.