| Cappalappa Receives Grant From Mesquite Resorts | |||
| By Vernon Robison Moapa Valley Progress Published April 22, 2009 The Cappalappa Family Resource Center was one of several recipients of grant funding from the Mesquite Resort Association (MRA). On Thursday, April 16, the MRA awarded Cappalappa a $1000 grant to assist in the local center’s Back To School program held in August and September. Back to School is a program where |
 A group of MRA members and advisory board members presented grants to seven organizations in the northeast Clark County on Thursday last week. |
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| qualifying families can receive help equipping their children for school. They can receive donated school supplies and gently used clothing items. Last year about 110 people in the Moapa Valley community benefitted from the program, according to Cappalappa administrator Penny Vallone. “This year I’m sure that there will be more,” Vallone said.
The MRA Grant funds will be used to purchase new shoes for that program. “We were so lucky to get this grant,” Vallone said. “It will truly be a great help to this community and to our work here.” Vallone expressed specific appreciation to Logandale resident Alice Crites who serves on the MRA Advisory Board for the Moapa Valley. “Alice really went to bat for us and represented our community to get us these funds,” Vallone said. Cappalappa was just one of seven organization that were awarded MRA funds on Thursday. Other organizations included schools in Beaver Dam, Arizona; the Virgin Valley High School Forensics program; a non-denominational youth summer camp program put on by the Mesquite Methodist Church and pet adoption service “We Care For Animals”. The Mesquite Resort Association is an alliance of the four major gaming properties in Mesquite: Casablanca, Eureka, Oasis and Virgin River. According to Rapson the MRA has two functions. First, to promote tourism in the Mesquite area. But secondly to provide a more effective method for philanthropy in the local areas. The MRA includes not only Virgin Valley, but also the Moapa Valley and the Beaver Dam/Scenic, Arizona areas in its area of focus. The emphasis in the grant selection process is placed on programs for children and those who can’t provide for themselves, said MRA spokesperson, Marty Rapson. “We try our best to spread out our resources to the surrounding areas and take everyone into consideration,” Rapson said. “As tough a time as it is out there for everyone, and as scarce as the resources are, we have found it very rewarding to help where we can.” The tough economic times have reduced the total amount of grant funding that the MRA is able to offer this year. In typical years, the Association has given about $50,000 in grants to various area organizations. This year, because of budget cuts, that amount was cut in half. “That makes it rough because there is so much need out there,” Rapson said. “It is incredible to see how little resources that many of these rural communities actually have.” |
