For
the second year in a row, KINDSOMNIA is hitting Las Vegas. On Saturday, April
20, 1,734 local students representing all 59 Southern Nevada middle schools
will be up all night for the event, which benefits the Josh Stevens Foundation.
Due to popular demand for the event, this year’s record-breaking number of
students will represent a 70 percent increase in attendance over the inaugural
KINDSOMNIA in 2012. The event begins at 6 p.m., concluding by 7 a.m. the next
day.
The
intent of KINDSOMNIA is to serve the community by providing sixth, seventh and
eighth graders throughout the Las Vegas Valley with an opportunity to build
friendships while promoting the value of kindness.
The
13-hour fun fest will begin with a kindness rally hosted by FUSE Junior High
and led by Drew Stevens, founder, Josh Stevens Foundation. During the rally,
the music will be loud and the energy will be high. Students will be
transported by bus to all locations and supervised not only by a group of
Foundation staff members, but also more than 250 adult and parent volunteers. A
ratio of 8 to 10 students per adult leader will ensure the most diligent
supervision.
The
event is made possible by the Foundation’s partnership with Central Christian
Church. Students will be transported via 34 buses to four locations, spending
approximately 60 to 90 minutes at each stop. Locations will include:
1.The Adventuredome: Canyon Blaster, Disk’O,
Chaos, Inverter, Lazer Blast and Sand Pirate, are just a few of the more than
25 rides and attractions The Adventuredome has to offer. This year, The
Adventuredome will be staying open one hour later than normal on the night of
KINDSOMNIA. That means students will have 60 more minutes to ride these
adrenaline pumping, head turning rides. This is the first stop of the night and
a favorite for many students.
2.Vegas Xtreme Paintball: Picture this: it is
2 a.m., the students will be running on caffeine and they will be suited up in
paintball gear to battle to see who will reign victorious.
3.COSMIC
Bowling: Located at Boyd Gaming’s Sam’s Town, Suncoast and Gold Coast
properties, COSMIC Bowling turns down the lights and turns up the music and
disco lights for a fun-filled evening.
4.Big
League Dreams Sports Arena: For the first time, the event will include a sports
arena. The location will include obstacle courses, bumper soccer, batting
cages, ultimate Frisbee, boxing, a video game arcade, mechanical bull riding
and more.
“We
were blown away last year by how students clamored to be part of KINDSOMNIA,”
says Stevens. “Imagine hundreds and hundreds of kids excited to be—well,
kids—as they get to experience all of the great activities we have planned.
Even with expanded capacity this year, the event still sold out in record time.
We are so happy to be able to create this incredible experience for them.”
The
price of admission includes all transportation, t-shirt, bracelet and admission
to all four activities. Food is not included in the price; parents should have
children bring money for food and drinks. Because this is an all-night event,
children are encouraged to bring anything they may need to stay up all night,
including any medication they may need, as well as clean socks and close-toed
shoes due to the planned activities. Students are asked not to bring paintball
or ice skating equipment. These items are included in the price and available
at the venues.
ABOUT
THE JOSH STEVENS FOUNDATION
Founded
in 2008, the Josh Stevens Foundation’s mission is to recognize and reward a
child’s heartfelt kind act and to inspire kids to be more kind, more often.
Genuine kindness born in the heart of a child deserves celebration. One month
before Josh’s 13th birthday, he lost his life in a tragic accident in September
2008. Amongst his friends, family and community, he was known as a person who
was kind and often did good deeds for others. He left a legacy of kindness that
lives on today through the work of the foundation. To date, nearly 90,000
kindness cards and 110,000 “Be Kind” t-shirts with various slogans have been
printed and distributed. Billboards in Southern Nevada and Oregon are now up
touting the organization’s message. Everything the foundation does honors Josh:
on the 5th of every month, for Josh’s birthday, the foundation does random acts
of kindness. Examples include surprising needy families by helping pay for
layaway gifts, donating money to feed children in Haiti, supporting grieving
families and much more. The logo, itself, is a recreation of actual drawings
from Josh; the three mountains represented Josh and his siblings, Shelbie and
Sam, who Josh named. The sun, to Josh, signified his parents protecting the
kids with the 12 points on the sun symbolizing Josh’s age. For more
information, go to www.JoshStevensFoundation.org or find on Facebook or Twitter
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