Want to join up in a fun event at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway as it kicks off the 2022 speedway season with its annual Laps for Charity fundraising event to benefit the Las Vegas Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities. The event will take place at the Speedway on Sunday, Jan. 30, from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. (Pacific). NASCAR fans and car enthusiasts will have the opportunity to drive their vehicles around the 1.5-mile superspeedway at speeds up to 75 miles per hour (behind a pace car), all in an effort to raise money for local children’s charities. Fans are invited to experience the thrill of a lifetime, driving their car, truck, motorcycle, or other street-legal vehicles on the same track as your favorite NASCAR drivers!
Laps for Charity is open to all licensed drivers 18 years of age and older. Car Club entry fees are $65 per vehicle for five continuous laps between 8 a.m. to noon. (Car club presidents must contact SCC to schedule their club arrival time.) All VIP Concierge entry fees are $100 per vehicle for seven continuous laps between 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. General Public entry fees are $75 per vehicle for five continuous laps between 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.
All vehicles must be street legal, drivers must have a valid license and proof of insurance, and car clubs and company fleets are welcome to participate. All vehicle occupants must be at least 6 years of age.
To keep things as safe as possible during the event, the speedway has set a few simple rules that need to be observed including the following COVID precautions: Everyone MUST remain in their cars; No spectators on property; You must stay in the vehicle you arrived in; Participants may not get out of their vehicles to take photos, and if you have to exit your vehicle to visit the restroom, then a mask or face covering is required.
Participants must pay in advance; no payment will be accepted onsite. To register for the event go to https://www.speedwaycharities.org/lasvegas/.
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Girls on the Run Las Vegas (GOTR), has received more than $100,000 in grants for the 2022 spring season enabling the local chapter to provide programming free of charge for up to 540 low-income girls this spring season. The much-needed sponsorships come thanks to the Clark County-sponsored Community Recovery Outside Agency Grant, which provided $65,625 in sponsorships to fund the program Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2022, as well as from United Way of Southern Nevada/ Women United, which awarded GOTR $26,250 for programming taking place through June 2022. Additionally, GOTR received a third grant of $18,000 from Andre Agassi Foundation For Education for the spring season.
For the spring season, GOTR will have 35 teams of 15-20 girls each, whose participation will be funded entirely through these generous grants. Each girl in all 15 teams will participate in the regular 10-week, twice weekly program featuring the GOTR curriculum, as well as receive all related materials, t-shirt, water bottle, 5K registration, bib, and medal, running shoes and running buddy registration. Site registration is open now and full sponsorship will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis at eligible sites, which are defined as those where 70 percent of students or more receive a free or reduced lunch (FRL) or are located near a school site with an eligible FRL percentage. Eligible sites include schools, community centers, recreation centers, Boys & Girls Clubs and other sites serving girls in grades 3 through 8.
The spring 2022 Girls on the Run Las Vegas season begins Feb. 21 and culminates with the 5K Community Celebration on Saturday, May 7 at UNLV.
“We are overjoyed to be recipients of these generous and much-needed grants provided by these wonderful organizations,” said Kate McLaughlin, executive director, GOTR. “With this funding they demonstrate their commitment to building the next generation of strong, confident and healthy women and helping the girls thrive now, despite the pandemic.”
Each year, the Girls on the Run hosts two 5K events, gathering hundreds of young girls throughout the community to accomplish one common goal—to be healthy, confident, and joyful. Each girl is paired with an adult Running Buddy who runs alongside them during the 5K. This celebratory, non-competitive event marks the conclusion of a season-long, experienced-based curriculum designed to develop confidence, friendship, strength, and emotional and spiritual health in young girls—all while integrating running. The program provides participants with a sense of accomplishment and instills the value of goal setting at a young age.
DAYLIGHT Beach Club, located at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, returns for the 2022 pool season debuting Friday, March 4. DAYLIGHT will be open Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Available this season, guests can indulge in a true VIP Daylife experience with hand crafted cocktails, pool side bites, VIP bottle service and an international lineup of DJs and performing artists.
DAYLIGHT will return with the ultimate weekend party with Fridays and Saturdays featuring Top 40 music from some of Las Vegas’ hottest DJs. The weekend will continue to heat up with the return of the best hip-hop party on the Las Vegas Strip, “LIT Sundays.” Partygoers can expect DJ sets and live performances from some of the most legendary hip-hop artists.
DAYLIGHT Beach Club is the place to be for a luxuriously entertaining pool experience with its 50,000-square-foot space including a 4,400-square-foot main pool and two additional private pools for cabana guests. Guests can also reserve daybeds, banquettes, and bungalows. DAYLIGHT will serve hand-crafted cocktails, pool-side bites, and VIP bottle service for guests while they enjoy a stellar roster of international DJs and performing artists. For more information, including special event pricing or to make reservations, please visit https://daylightvegas.com/ or call 702-632-4700.
To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the award-winning Oscar’s steakhouse at the Plaza Hotel & Casino unveiled an iconic statue of its namesake, former Las Vegas Mayor and mob attorney Oscar Goodman, and announced plans to add patio seating later this year.
A life-sized bronze statue of Goodman with one of his notorious clients, Tony Spilotro now resides in the lobby outside the restaurant’s entrance. The statue entitled “Good Counsel” was created by master sculptor and acclaimed artist Brian Hanlon, who donated his time to the project and was inspired to honor Goodman for his important contributions to Las Vegas. Hanlon has more than 550 permanent installations nationwide including several statues in Las Vegas, such as Jerry Tarkanian at the Thomas & Mack Center and most recently, former President Barack Obama at the Historic Westside Legacy Park.
In its ten years, Oscar’s steakhouse has amassed numerous accolades as a must-visit dining destination in Las Vegas, attracting tourists from around the world as well as locals who enjoy the restaurant’s relaxed ambiance, personal service, delicious menu, and vintage Vegas vibe. Named after the former Las Vegas Mayor, Oscar’s steakhouse is a glamorous and uniquely Las Vegas steakhouse inside the iconic dome of the Plaza Hotel and Casino that overlooks the lights of Fremont Street and downtown Las Vegas. Oscar’s features perfectly aged steaks cooked over a 600-degree grill and accompanied by high-quality, made-from-scratch sides. Oscar’s also offers a wide variety of delicious, hand-crafted cocktails, including martinis, the former mayor’s signature drink. Reservations are recommended by calling 702-38-OSCAR or 702-386-7227 or online at www.oscarslv.com.
To expand the dining experience of the popular restaurant, the Plaza will soon begin a construction project to add patio dining.
Oscar’s al fresco dining area will be created on a new rooftop structure that will be built adjacent to Oscar’s lounge. The new space is anticipated to seat 50 to 60 people and will offer the restaurant’s full dinner menu in addition to its extensive wine and cocktail lists. The patio at Oscar’s will also be a great new location for cocktail receptions with amazing views of the Plaza’s iconic glass dome as well as bustling Fremont and Main Streets. Construction is expected to begin this spring, and the restaurant will remain open during construction.
Rail Explorers®, the year-round, all-ages, outdoor-adventure attraction featuring motorized, pedal-assist rail bikes, currently offers tours five days a week, dark Tuesday, and Wednesday. All rides start at the Nevada State Railroad Museum and continue downhill to Railroad Pass. Motorized tours provide guests with an 8-mile roundtrip excursion while pedal-powered tours are a 4-mile trip to Railroad Pass and include a nostalgic ride back to the top of the hill in one of the museum’s historic trains.
All tours include free museum entry. Additionally, Rail Explorers® now offers guests a roundtrip transportation option from the Las Vegas Strip and surrounding areas when booking their tours from Experience Transport Agency (ETA). Guests may select this option at checkout.
- A tandem rail bike for two starts at $90.
- A quad rail bike for four guests starts at $160.
- Roundtrip transportation from Las Vegas Strip and surrounding areas: $59 per person.
Located in historic Boulder City, Nevada—just minutes from the Las Vegas Strip en route to Hoover Dam—Rail Explorers® offers exhilarating, guided excursions in two- or four-seat rail bikes along the same tracks used during construction of the dam. Rail Explorers® Las Vegas has a brand-new fleet of Explorers fitted with the REX Propulsion System – custom built electric motors that make riding the rails truly effortless. Tours include five memorable options, including the Southwest Round-Up, an 8-mile round trip tour, the Southwest Ramble, a scenic daytime rail bike ride which includes a trip on a historic train; the Desert Sunset Tour, a picturesque ride in the evening as the sun sets behind the River Mountains; the Fireside Starlight Ride, a one-of-a-kind experience featuring personal fire pits under the vast desert sky; and the Night Lights Tour offering a colorful illuminated rail bike ride. All rides start at the Nevada State Railroad Museum and continue downhill to the Pass Turnaround point and back. Each tour also includes free museum entry. Rail bikes provide a truly distinctive way to explore this extraordinarily scenic and historic area. For more information, visit www.railexplorers.net or follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Book online today at www.railexplorers.net, or by phone at (877) 833-8588
Looking forward to the playoffs. Since the Raiders will not be a final team in the Super Bowl, I’ll be rooting for the 49ers.