Wynn Las Vegas will donate $1.5 million to the Shade Tree women's shelter for major renovations at the site and to help fund operations.
The investment, announced by Wynn Las Vegas President Maurice Wooden on Tuesday, is expected to alleviate construction and upkeep costs for the charity that plays a key role in helping victims of domestic violence and homelessness in Las Vegas. The shelter, located on Owens Avenue at Main Street, provides women and children with temporary housing, meals, medical care, and other critical services.
“When taking the difficult first step toward rebuilding their lives, thousands of women rely on the Shade Tree to take that step with them,” Wooden said in a news release. “We hope this effort will help the Shade Tree continue its mission of paving the road back to safety for those who turn to them in a time of need.”
Several local construction and professional trade companies — including Novus Architecture, MMC Contractors, Ryan Mechanical and TEAM Construction — will join Wynn’s design and development team in the charitable campaign to refurbish the shelter's kitchen, resident bathrooms and intake room.
Shade Tree, which has struggled financially in recent years, welcomes the assistance.
“We extend our most sincere appreciation to Wynn Las Vegas for its generosity in underwriting many significant and much-needed upgrades to our facility. Their efforts will continue to uplift our organization and enhance our ability to better help women and children in crisis for years to come,” said Stacey Lockhart, Shade Tree executive director. “The result of this partnership will be as much restorative to the souls of our clients as to the physical structure itself.”
As part of the partnership, Wynn is also providing pro-bono consultation to the shelter in the areas of food safety, security, engineering and marketing.