Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY AARON MAYES/UNLV (HARTER); ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES (MATUSOW) his name. The Kenneth F. Barlow City of Asylum Fellow will begin his tenure at the start of the fall semester. The writer, an Iranian national in dan- ger of imprisonment or execution for his work, is a novelist and playwright currently enrolled in Harvard University's Scholars at Risk program. For Rogers, the decision to use her inheritance was an easy one: "How wonderful is it to be able to save a life in your dad's memory?" Paying the money forward, she says, is a way of giving that "hopefully creates a ripple effect throughout the world." The two friends' excitement is palpable as Harter describes City of Asylum as a "com- pletely transformational entity for Las Vegas," the literary equivalent of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. "We're trying to bring new culture to the community at a higher level." While fellows are brought to City of Asylum to pursue their own work, they are also heavily involved in the Black Mountain Institute, work- ing with UNLV doctoral candidates and the local community. The City of Asylum houses that Rogers and Harter are refitting make that easy: They're located close to campus and come fully furnished. While the writer is asked to use part of his or her stipend to pay the rent, Rogers's housing gift pays for all utilities, including Internet access. And Rogers spent hours sprucing up the houses. "I even stocked the kitchen with coffee maker and creamer, so the writers can walk right in and feel at home," she says. As Rogers and Harter gleefully continue their tour of the house, it's obvious that the new and improved City of Asylum is more than just a pro- gram. "I'm thrilled at the idea of history books showing my name linked with Carol's," Rogers admits. "We're changing lives, and we're chang- ing our city." blackmountaininstitute.org V Charity Regist er OPPORTUNITIES TO GIVE. CHARITY SERIES OF POKER Event: New this year, the Charity Series of Poker is a nonprofit organization that arranges and promotes poker tournaments to raise awareness and money for charitable causes, with half the pot going to charity and half going toward payouts for the winners. This first event benefits the food bank Three Square, which supports more than 1,300 partners in Southern Nevada, including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, after- school programs, and senior citizens. Pros and celebrities playing the inaugural event will include Mike Matusow (PICTURED), Sasha Barrese, and Tom Marchese. Details: July 6, 5 PM, Planet Hollywood; charityseriesofpoker.org DRESS FOR SUCCESS SOUTHERN NEVADA POWER WALK Event: The third annual Dress for Success Southern Nevada Power Walk is an easy one-mile walk that supports the health and wellness, career development, and employment programs of the Las Vegas affiliate of Dress for Success, a worldwide organization that empowers disadvantaged women. Details: July 26, 7:30 AM, Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood; dressforsuccesssouthernnevada.org/ events/power-walk/ ADVERTISING COMMUNITY TALENT SHOW Event: Featuring performers from the Las Vegas advertising community and the local media, the Advertising Community Talent Show raises funds for Safe Nest, Nevada's largest and most comprehensive charity devoted solely to domestic violence issues. Details: August 2, 7 PM, Chrome Show- room inside Santa Fe Station; actslv.org JUST FOR THE KIDS GOLF TOURNAMENT Event: Red Rock Canyon provides the backdrop for the 10th annual Marriott Las Vegas Charities Golf Tournament at TPC Las Vegas, benefiting Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada and the Children's Miracle Network (St. Rose Dominican Hospital pediatric unit). Details: August 4, 11 AM, TPC Las Vegas and JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa; marriottjustforthekids.com NEVADA BROADCASTERS ASSOCIATION GALA Event: Now in its 19th year, this event recognizes excellence in Nevada's radio and television industry, with proceeds benefiting the Nevada Broadcasters Foundation and funding scholarships in the name of Linda and Tony Bonnici (PICTURED) for passionate students in the field of broadcasting. Details: August 9, 5:30 PM, Four Seasons Las Vegas; nevadabroadcasters.org HERSHE LAS VEGAS DRIVING THE DREAM Event: The inaugural Driving the Dream Charity Event Weekend of HerShe Las Vegas, which helps girls in foster care transition to adult independence, includes poker and golf tournaments, a party, and Sunday brunch. Details: August 15–17, The Revere Golf Club; hershegroup.org continued from page 48 Carol Harter was UNLV's longest-serving president, but now she's serving her community and the world's writers. 50 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY