Las Vegas Shooting Memorial Fundraising Assumed by Nonprofit

Posted on: April 3, 2024, 11:33h. 

Last updated on: April 3, 2024, 02:03h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

The Las Vegas shooting memorial that’s to be built near where the deadly massacre took place on the southern end of the Strip more than six and a half years ago is moving forward with a newly established nonprofit.

Las Vegas shooting memorial 1 October
A rendering of “Forever One,” the proposed Las Vegas shooting memorial along the Strip. Clark County commissioners have tasked the Vegas Strong Fund with raising money for the multimillion-dollar memorial project. (Image: JCJ Architecture)

During the Clark County Commission’s meeting on Tuesday, commissioners voted in favor of allocating the nearly $140K in funds raised for the design and construction of the Oct. 1, 2017, shooting memorial to the Vegas Strong Fund. The nonprofit will be led by three directors — Jan Jones Blackhurst, Punam Mathur, and Virginia Valentine.

The county commission in September approved the permanent memorial design to remember the 58 victims who died that day while attending the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival on the Las Vegas Village grounds across from Mandalay Bay.

The deadliest mass shooting in modern US history injured more than 500 others. Two died later from their injuries, taking the official death toll to 60. The gunman died by suicide after spewing bullets from his 32nd-floor suite at Mandalay Bay on the outdoor country music festival across the Strip.

‘Forever One’

Clark County has been fielding donations from individuals for the construction of the memorial, an account that as of March held a balance of $143,986.85. Vegas Strong will receive that money.

County commissioners in approving the design in September and contracting JCJ Architecture to build the memorial, dissolved their 1 October Memorial Committee. Vegas Strong will now be the primary fundraiser for the project.

The memorial will be built on two acres of land that was formerly located in the Las Vegas Village. MGM Resorts International, which owned the Village in 2017, sold the 13 other acres for a reported $90 million to a tribe based in North Dakota. MGM donated the two acres for the memorial.

The memorial, dubbed “Forever One,” will feature 58 “beams” or illuminated candles to represent the lives lost that day. An adjacent wall will include the names of each victim.

“The memorial will serve as a place for individuals to reflect, grieve, and remember those who lost their lives,” the JCJ website for Forever One reads. “It will be a place to provide solace and healing for the community while also serving as a reminder of the importance of promoting peace, unity, and the prevention of violence.”

Timeline Vague

The Forever One memorial is expected to cost upwards of $20 million. Before construction on the JCJ plan can begin, significant funds must be raised.

We have a beautiful concept for a memorial that reflects an extensive amount of community engagement thanks to the efforts of our 1 October Memorial Committee,” said Clark County Commissioner Jim Gibson. “The next big step in this process is to raise money to build the project, and we believe the Vegas Strong Fund is the right nonprofit group to help us create a world-class memorial that honors all those affected by the events of 1 October and celebrates the resiliency of our community.”

The Strip’s casinos will likely help fund the memorial. The Vegas Strong Fund directors have strong ties to the gaming industry.

Blackhurst, a former mayor of Las Vegas, has sat on the board of Caesars Entertainment since October 2019. Mathur is the executive director of the Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation, and previously worked for 13 years at MGM Mirage, now MGM Resorts, as the company’s senior vice president of community affairs.

Valentine is the president and CEO of the Nevada Resort Association.