Month: August 2023

Published by Las Vegas Sands on July 11, 2023

LAS VEGAS /3BL/ – Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) announced 12 college students will participate in the inaugural Sands Hospitality Immersion Program, July 24-28 in Las Vegas. The intensive experience is designed to encourage interest in travel, tourism and leisure by exposing students to the inner workings of the Las Vegas hospitality industry.

Sands and TMCF, the only national organization exclusively representing the Black college community, established the Sands Hospitality Immersion Program to provide students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with a deep introduction to the travel, tourism and leisure industry and its wide range of professional positions, aiming to inspire them to consider one of the world’s fastest-growing and largest employment fields.

The 12 students selected for the exclusive summer program are all rising junior and senior college students at TMCF member schools and were chosen from a pool of candidates who applied through TMCF and were reviewed by Sands. Participants include Ta’Niyah Harris, Bowie State University; Erin Williams, Howard University; Jaida Robinson-Clark, Howard University; Jasmyn Love, Howard University; Joshua Williamson, Howard University; Nathanael Edwards, Langston University; Zay’Kori Jones, Norfolk State University; Brandon Smith, North Carolina A&T State University; Derrick Jacobs, North Carolina A&T State University; Joleen Buchanan, University of the Virgin Islands; Kayla Smith, Virginia State University; and Marquis Bell, Virginia State University

“As a first-generation college student, my career has always been the light at the end of the tunnel while at Howard University,” said Jaida Robinson-Clark, a rising junior at Howard University. “My participation in the Sands Hospitality Immersion is a glimpse into a promising industry where I could pursue my interest and learn about the many opportunities that may lie ahead. Considering how many applied to attend, this excites me, and I am grateful to have been selected.”

The multi-day experience curated by the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas will feature in-depth seminars, tours of integrated resorts with back-of-house access, visits to other types of hospitality venues, presentations by experts in various disciplines and interactive events such as a cooking competition with professional chefs.

“We are thrilled to partner with Sands on this tremendous immersion opportunity in Las Vegas,” said Dr. Harry Williams, president and CEO of Thurgood Marshall College Fund. “Creating these unique experiences for our students is at the core of our mission. The hospitality field is one of the fastest growing in America, and this strategic partnership allows TMCF to provide our talented students with a chance to learn more about the various careers in this important industry.”

The travel, tourism and leisure industry continues to experience tremendous job growth and encompasses a wide range of professional positions. Beyond traditional hospitality tracks in hotel operations or restaurant, meetings and venue management, the industry offers career opportunities in finance, marketing, sales, human resources, information technology, legal and other professional service fields.

“I want to thank Sands and Thurgood Marshall College Fund for their critical investment in building a pathway that develops and showcases the talented students who attend HBCUs,” said Brandon Smith, a rising senior at North Carolina A&T State. “As I embark on this immersion experience, I look forward to professionally fostering relationships within the industry and absorbing significant insight regarding the trajectory and landscape of the hospitality, tourism and entertainment industry internationally.”

The Sands Hospitality Immersion Program was established through the Sands Cares global community engagement program and is one of the company’s many education and workforce development initiatives, which include contributions to and partnerships with higher education institutions, funding for scholarship programs, on-property and industry-supported training opportunities for students and hospitality professionals, and mentorship and instruction from company leaders and experts.

“Our goal for this program is twofold: to encourage the best and brightest students in all disciplines to consider hospitality as a career path and to ensure our industry cultivates a diverse and inclusive workforce that provides opportunities for people from all backgrounds and communities,” said Ron Reese, senior vice president of global communications and corporate affairs, who spearheads corporate responsibility initiatives at Sands. “This program is a foundation from which we plan to introduce other unique educational opportunities for HBCU students to experience our global destinations and gain even more perspective into the industry. We look forward to hosting this talented group of students.”

About Sands (NYSE: LVS)

Sands is the world’s preeminent developer and operator of world-class integrated resorts. Our iconic properties drive valuable leisure and business tourism and deliver significant economic benefits, sustained job creation, financial opportunities for local businesses and community investment to help make our host regions ideal places to live, work and visit.

Sands’ portfolio of properties includes Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and The Venetian Macao, The Plaza and Four Seasons Hotel Macao, The Londoner Macao, The Parisian Macao and Sands Macao in Macao SAR, China, through majority ownership in Sands China Ltd.

Sands is dedicated to being a leader in corporate responsibility, anchored by the core tenets of serving people, planet and communities. Our ESG leadership has led to inclusion on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for World and North America. To learn more, visit www.sands.com.

 About Thurgood Marshall College Fund

Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. TMCF member-schools include publicly supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) which enroll over 80% of all students attending HBCUs. TMCF provides access to higher education through scholarships and financial support and prepares HBCU students to succeed in economically sustainable careers. These programs are particularly critical since over 75% of HBCU students are low-income, with 97% relying on financial aid – and over half are the first in their families to attend college. TMCF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization. For more information about TMCF, visit: tmcf.org.

Contacts:

Kristin Koca
Sands
702.923.9142
Kristin.Koca@sands.com

Robert Knox
TMCF
202.216.2233
robert.knox@tmcf.org

MAUI, Hawaii, August 14, 2023 /3BL/ – Direct Relief, in response to the catastrophic Maui wildfires, announced today an initial cash commitment of $500 thousand to aid affected communities and facilitate the timely and sustained delivery of urgently needed medical supplies to clinics, shelters, and state and local emergency response agencies with which is working.

The wildfires in Lahaina – the deadliest disaster in Hawaii’s history – have resulted in the loss of over 2,000 structures and claimed the lives of more than 80 individuals. With thousands seeking refuge in shelters across Maui and Honolulu, Direct Relief is actively addressing the pressing medical needs of these evacuees and aiding search and rescue operations.

The organization’s initial deliveries of emergency medical essentials were deployed in shelters in Maui earlier this week, and Direct Relief staff today are delivering additional requested medical essentials to Maui via ROAM air.

Today’s shipment includes numerous wildfire kits. These kits, developed in consultation with medical and emergency-response experts, aim to prevent emergency room visits during significant wildfire events. They contain vital medications, including inhalers, nebulizer solutions, irrigation solutions, antibiotics, analgesics, wound care products, and chronic disease medications.

Beyond the immediate risks of burns, wildfires can exacerbate pre-existing health issues. Airborne particulates can worsen respiratory or cardiovascular problems, even sending those affected to the emergency room, and people with chronic conditions can face acute medical crises if they evacuate without their medications.

At the request of Maui Search and Rescue, Direct Relief is also dispatching 20 emergency medical backpacks to bolster on-the-ground relief efforts.

Based on years of disaster response experience, the packs are tailored for paramedics and health professionals to use in the field and are the standard for the State of California’s Medical Reserve Corps.

Today’s delivery follows a series of emergency shipments by Direct Relief this week, including requested medical resources that arrived with the local organization Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawai’i.

The supplies were put to immediate use by medical personnel in Maui shelters and via a mobile medical unit caring for pregnant and post-partum individuals, newborns, and their families.

Direct Relief will continue to respond as the situation unfolds, coordinating with local clinics, Hawaii state health and emergency response officials, FEMA, and associations like the Society for Critical Care Medicine.

For more information on Direct Relief’s response to the wildfires in Hawaii, visit: https://www.directrelief.org/emergency/hawaii-fires/

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About Direct Relief

A humanitarian organization committed to improving the health and lives of people affected by poverty and emergencies, Direct Relief delivers lifesaving medical resources throughout the US and globally to communities in need—without regard to politics, religion, or ability to pay. For more information, visit https://www.DirectRelief.org.

ekō Solutions, a division of Land Betterment, offers a full array of dwelling solutions for commercial, recreational, residential and crisis recovery using customized up-cycled shipping containers. These sustainable and energy-efficient structures combine contemporary design with practicality.

Commercial

ekō Solutions offers a variety of designs which are customizable to meet both mobile and fixed needs. The up-cycled shipping container units range from 10 to 40 feet in size. Some uses include:

Mobile Merchant ContainersTemporary OfficesPorto-containers – mobile and permanent restroomsMulti-UseKitchens

Recreation

ekō Solutions recreational units comprise of tiny homes, campsite and park models, hunting blinds, and beyond. The Gateway model can be rented through Airbnb and provides all the amenities of home in a small footprint. This model is perfect for the tiny home lover or on the go camper who wants the amenities of a home away from home.

Residential 

ekō homes are designed to be high quality, sustainable, durable and affordable to live in from one to ten years and are highly customizable. The sustainable craftsmanship of the homes is what separates ekō homes from the alternatives. Details about the available models include:

Agora and Tide models measure 320 square feet with an open floor plan including a studio or 1 bedroom with a bathroom, kitchen and sitting areaTwo Company model measures 480 square feet with 2 stories and includes 2 bedrooms with upstairs deck, bathroom, kitchen and sitting areaLoggia model measures 640 square feet with 2 studio bedrooms, bathroom and custom built kitchen islandAtlas model measures 1,280 square feet and includes 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, a kitchen and living space

Crisis Recovery

Following a natural disaster, beyond medical, food & water, housing is the most essential and complex issue. ekō works with local community representatives, churches, charitable foundations and sponsors to efficiently deploy ekō Villages of Hope to communities in need of temporary housing solutions. The Villages of Hope provide a safe and efficient housing solution for victims in times of need so that they can begin to rebuild their lives and move forward.

The building process of ekō Solutions dwellings adheres to strict national and state building codes ensuring that the dwellings comply with standard code while being high quality. With a standardized approach and rigorous quality control measures, these structures are manufactured in a controlled environment at an impressive rate of up to seven per week. During the construction process close attention is paid to details, from the faucets used to the placement of electrical outlets. By virtue of their previous life as ocean shipping containers, ekō homes are built to withstand transportation, ensuring they meet building standards and codes.

To learn more about ekō Solutions’ products you can visit – ekosolutionsllc.com

About ekō Solutions

ekō Solutions, a Land Betterment Company, is a sustainable development company utilizing innovative, low-cost, up-cycled shipping container structures to provide durable, high-end solutions to the building marketplace while also maintaining the ability to be utilized in a mobile environment. ekō Solutions uses innovative ecological structures to replace legacy inefficient and ineffective methods of living, growing and working. The sustainable craftsmanship of our up-cycled shipping container structures is what separates us from the alternatives. Our structures are suitable for residential, crisis recovery, commercial and recreation use. For more information visit ekosolutionsllc.com and connect with ekō Solutions on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Land Betterment Corporation

Land Betterment Corporation, an Indiana Benefit Corporation and Certified B Corp, is an environmental solutions company focused on fostering a positive impact through up-cycling former coal mining and industrial sites to create sustainable community development and job creation. The Company utilizes a complete solution-based lifecycle program to restore and rehabilitate the environment and revitalize communities in need of change and opportunity. Land Betterment accomplishes this by identifying un-reclaimed, run-down and neglected coal mining sites, fixing the environment through reclamation and remediation, and then repurposing the land to support a sustainable business that serves the community. Land Betterment firmly believes that with real solutions it is possible for restoration of impacted areas to live side-by-side long term employment, while building sustainable and safe surroundings for communities and our planet. For more information visit landbetterment.com or connect with the Company on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

**Media Contacts:**

Mark LaVerghetta 
Chief Governance Officer, Corporate Finance 
Land Betterment Corporation 
Phone: 317.537.0492 ext. 0 
Email: info@landbetterment.com

Stephanie Conzelman 
Stakeholder Engagement Director 
Land Betterment Corporation 
Phone: 207.205.0790 
Email: info@landbetterment.com