4/26/2023
Education and Outreach
The Las Vegas Rotary Club knew the best way to ring in its centennial anniversary this year, says group President Caty Crockett: by taking on a meaningful community project.
And in making a generous $100,000 donation to The Smith Center this spring, the Rotary Club definitely made a significant impact.
“The Rotary Club and The Smith Center are both institutions in the city, and our missions are similar,” Crockett says. “I hope that we can continue serving the community in many ways, and together.”
The club’s contribution directly supports the education and outreach programs at The Smith Center — a nonprofit organization — including the student matinees it presents in its theaters to over 70,000 students each year.
The center’s outreach programs also help at-risk schools create their own musical-theater programs; provide master classes and workshops for students with acclaimed artists; and train teachers on incorporating the arts in their classrooms.
These efforts closely align with the Rotary Club’s mission to support success “through literacy, education and life-skills development,” Crockett explains.
Deeming The Smith Center’s educational initiatives an “important” aspect of the student experience in Southern Nevada, Crockett says, “we were happy to make that our signature project for our centennial year.”
A Wide Range of Support
The Rotary Club doesn’t just support The Smith Center with funds.
Club members also volunteered as ushers during one of the center’s recent mainstage matinee performances, which involved seating 1,500 students in the center’s Reynolds Hall.
“I think it’s good for the Rotary Club members to see what our (centennial) project is doing,” Crockett says.
Members highly enjoyed volunteering, she adds, especially in witnessing how The Smith Center’s student matinees provide many youths with their first introduction to live theater.
“The people who were there were really impressed, and enjoyed it — just the excitement, to see (students’) faces when they walk in the building,” Crockett says. “I hope it opens up a whole new world of opportunity.”
100 Years of Impact
The Rotary Club’s legacy harkens back to Las Vegas’ very beginnings, Crockett says.
When Las Vegas got its start as a water stop on the railroad, the same individuals who founded the city also created the Rotary Club in 1923.
“Las Vegas was a tiny, dusty town,” says Crockett, herself a lifelong Las Vegas resident. “Seventeen businessmen got together and established the club when they saw needs in the community, and they set out to fix what needed to be fixed.”
This included building the city’s initial infrastructure, she adds.
The Rotary Club has continued to support essential needs in Las Vegas throughout the ensuing decades. The organization places strong focus on literacy programs and outreach initiatives, including purchasing clothes and toys for hundreds of at-risk kids during the holidays. The club further presents the quarterly Wetzel Awards, honoring Air Force servicemen and women stationed in Southern Nevada.
As the Rotary Club has played such an instrumental role in growing the city of Las Vegas, Crockett adds, supporting The Smith Center seems a natural fit.
“The Smith Center has had a huge impact. It’s given (Las Vegas) a visibility around the world from a different perspective, and you have artists who come here and say this is the finest venue they’ve ever performed in,” she says. “I’m really proud of what we’re doing with The Smith Center, and it’s my hope it will continue.”