LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – The Raiders Foundation proudly hosted the second annual Silver & Black Gala on May 17 at Allegiant Stadium, raising an impressive $3 million to benefit youth mental health initiatives across Nevada. Building on the success of its inaugural year and seeing considerable growth, the Gala once again spotlighted the Foundation’s commitment to uplifting communities through access, awareness, and action.
Presented by Intermountain Health, the evening gathered nearly 1,000 attendees, including local business leaders, public officials, and a contingent of Raiders, including alumni, current players, and front office staff for a powerful night of giving. One-hundred percent of the proceeds from the Gala will directly fund mental health services, programs, and resources for youth in Southern Nevada.
The evening began with an impassioned speech from Raiders Owner Mark Davis, who lit the Al Davis Memorial Torch in honor of Elaine Wynn, followed by a surprise $1 million donation from the Raiders Foundation to four Nevada-based organizations delivering critical mental health support to young people: Boys Town Nevada, Community Counseling Center of Southern Nevada, Solutions for Change, and Campus for Hope.
“Mental health is a critical pillar of well-being, especially for our youth,” said Sandra Douglass Morgan, President of the Las Vegas Raiders. “The Raiders are proud to leverage the power of this organization and the generosity of our community to help remove the stigma and expand access to essential resources. The Silver & Black Gala represents more than a night of giving — it’s a statement of our long-term commitment to the health and future of Nevada’s youth.”
“The overwhelming support we received at this year’s Gala reflects how deeply our community cares about the mental health of our young people,” said Kari Uyehara, Executive Director of the Raiders Foundation. “It’s an honor to channel that generosity directly into programs making an immediate and lasting impact. We’re especially proud to recognize and support organizations doing the hard work on the ground every day to lift up Nevada’s youth.”
Each of the four nonprofit recipients expressed deep gratitude for the unexpected investment:
“We’re incredibly grateful to the Raiders Foundation for recognizing the importance of early mental health intervention,” said Executive Director of Boys Town Nevada John Etzell. “This support enables us to expand vital programs that help young people develop resilience, heal from trauma, and build brighter futures.”
“This gift is truly transformational for the young clients we serve,” said Community Counseling Center of Southern Nevada Executive Director Patrick Bozarth. “Mental health care should never be a luxury, and with the Raiders Foundation’s investment, we can reach more youth with the timely, compassionate support they deserve.”
“The Raiders Foundation’s leadership in mental health advocacy is inspiring,” said Danisha Mingo, Founder and Executive Director of Solutions for Change. “This funding allows us to continue our mission of empowering youth through education, therapeutic care, and community engagement — all essential tools in breaking the cycle of trauma and adversity.”
“This generous support from the Raiders Foundation strengthens our ability to meet youth where they are — with empathy, safety, and resources,” said Campus for Hope CEO Kim Jeffries. “Together, we’re building a healthier Nevada where no young person feels invisible or alone.”
The evening also featured the presentation of the “Commitment to Excellence Award” to Gary and Debbie Ackerman from Gaudin Ford and Dan Reynolds from Imagine Dragons in recognition of their outstanding philanthropic and community leadership.
Among the night’s highlights:
Notable guests included Owner Mark Davis, President Sandra Douglass Morgan, Head Coach Pete Carroll, and General Manager John Spytek, along with Raiders Alumni Charles Woodson, Jim Plunkett, Eric Allen, and Marcus Allen. More than 40 current Raiders players attended, including Maxx Crosby, Geno Smith, Daniel Carlson, and Jackson Powers-Johnson.
For more information about the Raiders Foundation and future events, visit raiders.com/foundation.
A recent Review-Journal letter to the editor mischaracterized Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act, also known as the Clark County Lands bill. As the former executive director of the Nevada Conservation League, I wholeheartedly support this legislation, so I wanted to set the record straight.
Sen. Cortez Masto has been working on this bill for years in partnership with state and local governments, conservation groups like the NCL and local area tribes. It’s true that the Clark County lands bill would open 25,000 acres to help Las Vegas grow responsibly, while setting aside 2 million acres for conservation. It would also help create more affordable housing throughout the valley while ensuring our treasured public spaces can be preserved for generations to come.
What is not correct is that the money from these land sales would go to the federal government’s coffers. In fact, the opposite is true.
The 1998 Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act is a landmark bill that identified specific public land for future sale and created a special account ensuring all land sale revenues would come back to Nevada. In accordance with that law 5 percent of revenue from land transfers goes to the state of Nevada for general education purposes, 10 percent goes to the Southern Nevada Water Authority for needed water infrastructure and 85 percent supports conservation and environmental mitigation projects in Southern Nevada. This legislation has provided billions to Clark County and will continue to benefit generations of Southern Nevadans. Sen. Cortez Masto’s lands bill builds upon the act’s success.
So here’s the good news: All of the money generated from land made available for sale under Sen. Cortez Masto’s bill would be sent to the special account created by the 1998 law. Rather than going to an unaccountable federal government, the proceeds would continue to help kids in Vegas get a better education, bolster outdoor recreation and modernize Southern Nevada’s infrastructure.
I know how important it is that money generated from the sale of public land in Nevada stay in the hands of Nevadans, and so does the senator. That’s why she opposed a Republican effort last year to sell off 200,000 acres of land in Clark County and other areas of the country that would have sent those dollars directly to Washington.
Public land management in Nevada should benefit Nevadans. We should protect sacred cultural sites and beloved recreation spaces, responsibly transfer land for affordable housing when needed and ensure our state has the resources it needs to grow sustainably. I will continue working with Sen. Cortez Masto to advocate for legislation, such as the Clark County lands bill, that puts the needs of Nevadans first.
Paul Selberg writes from Las Vegas.
click to expand photos
Las Vegas High’s baseball team claimed a 3-2 home win over Coronado on Friday.
Las Vegas (9-13-1) next hosts Rancho at 10 a.m. Saturday. Coronado (13-14) hosts Chaparral at 3:30 p.m. Monday.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Nevada’s jobless rate is holding steady, but the state is still adding jobs.
A new report from DETR shows February’s unemployment rate unchanged at 5.3 percent, with the labor force growing by nearly 3,800 people.
MORE ON FOX5: Nevada unemployment rate rises to 5.3% in January
Nevada now has about 1.6 million nonfarm jobs, up 2.2 percent over the past year and 1,500 more jobs than in January.
“This month’s report shows a strengthening labor market,” said David Schmidt, Chief Economist. ”Compared to the report for January, the pace of job gains in the past year increased from 1.9% to 2.2%, building on what was already the fastest pace of job growth in the country. While the unemployment rate remained stable, the labor force participation rate rose to 63.7%, 1.7 percentage points higher than the national level.”
In Las Vegas, employment ticked up by 1,100 jobs in February, about 0.1 percent, and is up more than 25,000 jobs compared to last year.
Reno added 1,000 jobs on the month, while Carson City shed about 200 but is still slightly above where it was a year ago.
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