This week, Rich Thomas, Insomniac’s Vice President Culture and Content, visited Chaparral High School to celebrate the $70,000 donation to Communities In Schools Southern Nevada, fundraised during the 2019 EDC Las Vegas Charity Initiative. Thomas shared an inspiring speech to the CIS Academy Class, touching on his career and personal journey and how passion and focus led him to where he is today – working with like-minded individuals for the world’s largest music festival brand.
“It was an honor to spend the morning yesterday at Chaparral High School and meet the amazing young adults in the CIS Academy Class,” says Thomas. “Insomniac and Communities In Schools Southern Nevada share a very similar passion for creating environments where people can feel happy, welcomed, comfortable in their own skin, and surrounded by others who could very well be going through similar life events. To be seen for who you are and be lifted up by a community that believes in you is priceless and rare, and we feel very privileged to contribute to CIS’s mission through our EDC Las Vegas Charity Initiative.”
Prior to Thomas’ classroom visit, he stopped by the CIS Resource Room located on campus at Chaparral High School and met with CIS Site Coordinators, affiliates, partners and Chaparral administrators to discuss what the donation means to Insomniac and presented them with a custom totem that represents unity and togetherness, that stated “All Are Welcome Here.” During the discussion, a current Chaparral High School student shared her personal story and discussed the challenges and hardships she faced prior to joining Communities In Schools Southern Nevada. The hands-on help from the Site Coordinators and affiliates led her to getting back on track to graduate high school, ace the ACT, and receive interest from several colleges around the country.
The money raised through the EDC Las Vegas Charity Initiative will primarily assist with the CIS Academy Classes at both Chaparral High School and Sunrise Mountain High School and will support Communities In Schools Southern Nevada’s mission to provide students in Nevada with the correct tools, advice, mentorship and guidance they need to stay in school and achieve in life.
During EDC Las Vegas 2019, attendees donated to the charity initiative to enter in on sweepstakes and auction packages that fered premium VIP experiences in addition to exclusive meet and greets with some the biggest artists on the 2019 EDC Las Vegas lineup.
Now in its fifth year, Insomniac’s annual EDC Las Vegas charity campaign has raised over $500,000 for local Las Vegas charities and continues to recognize charities and non-prit organizations that effect change in the areas children and families, law enforcement and first responders, education, sustainability and environmental awareness and self-care and harm reduction.
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