Photo Credit: Debbie Hall
By Debbie Hall, Editor
Informer Media Group
Today, Santa Claus drove in Downtown Las Vegas in style in a Lamborghini (from World Class Driving) with Opportunity Village’s citizen spokesperson Reggie to the 3rd Street Stage at Downtown Las Vegas’ Fremont Street Experience. He went on stage along with Mayor Carolyn Goodman; Opportunity Village’s Associate Executive Director, Linda Smith; celebrity reporter Robin Leach; Jeff Victor, president of Fremont Street Experience; Ed Guthrie, executive director of Opportunity Village; the world famous Chippendales; the dazzling Showgirls of Las Vegas and singer/composer George Dare for the big announcement about the Great Santa Run to be held Dec. 7.
Smith first took the stage and told the excited crowd, “The Las Vegas Great Santa Run, which is coming up on its 10th year and last year had 10,000 participants, is coming back home to downtown and we are so excited about it. This is where we belong!”
The Las Vegas Great Santa Run is part of the World Santa Challenge, a global challenge, and Las Vegas is the official record holder for the most Santa Claus two years in a row. In 2012, with a significant lead, Las Vegas once again defeated its toughest “World Santa Challenge” competition from Liverpool. The “World Santa Challenge” was created by Santa Fun Run events in the United Kingdom to introduce an element of playful competition between Santa Runs across the globe. The Las Vegas Great Santa Run serves as the largest annual fundraiser benefitting Opportunity Village, with thousands of participants flooding the streets for a 5K run and one-mile walk each year.
Smith then introduced Leach to read a challenge from the British competitors, Liverpool Leadership Group.
“The trophy and accompanying World Santa Challenge has sat at Opportunity Village’s Linda Smith’s office for two years. That is far too long.” Leach read and then explained that while the Liverpool Leadership Group wants to take the trophy back to Liverpool, Las Vegas is now his home and he wants it to stay (by winning) for years to come. The challenge continued with, “Las Vegas, be afraid. The title is about to go back to its rightful home. We will have the backing of the entire British Isles this year.”
Leach encouraged the crowd and made his own challenge for Southern Nevada to bring the number of participating Santas in the run to 20,000 and possibly 50,000.
George Dare, who wrote the event’s official song, “Run Santa Run,” performed the song with the crowd singing the chorus of “Run Santa Run ho ho ho.”
Mayor Goodman, with the Chippendales dancers at her side, said “we are so proud and this is so exciting. So many of the runners, so many of the teams wanted to come back home to Downtown Las Vegas.”
Founded 60 years ago, Opportunity Village is a not-for-profit organization that serves people in the community with significant intellectual disabilities, enriching their lives and the lives of the families who love them by providing meaningful work and life experiences. Opportunity Village is Nevada’s largest employer of people with disabilities and serves nearly 3,000 individuals annually, providing vocational training, employment, habilitation and social recreation programs and services. For more information, visit www.opportunityvillage.org.