On November 4, front man for rock band Imagine Dragons, Dan Reynolds, tore away a bow and gold wrapping paper to reveal a vending machine surrounded by an unmistakable bright red facade. Reynolds then became the first to donate to the 2021 Light the World Giving Machine in Summerlin just outside Las Vegas, Nevada.
Las Vegas native @DanReynolds, frontman of rock band @Imaginedragons, was at DTS on Tuesday helping us unveil The Giving Machine. The vending machine lets donors contribute to local nonprofits and international giving campaigns. Reynolds was this year’s first donor. pic.twitter.com/tMzY30NuS4
— Downtown Summerlin (@DTSummerlin) November 4, 2021
Reynolds is a native of Las Vegas and purchased 300 meals to be donated to southern Nevada’s food bank, Three Square, among other charitable contributions.
“This is for our kids. This is to show them what life is about,” Reynolds said during a Wednesday kickoff event for the Giving Machine, as reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “It’s to teach them a quick lesson that it’s not about TikTok. It’s not about likes on Instagram. Your self-love, your self-worth, your joy in life will come from giving to others.”
Summerlin is one of ten locations that will host public Giving Machines. Last year no Giving Machines were available due to COVID-19, but in 2019, the machines in Summerlin raised $823,000—about $470,000 of which went to local nonprofits, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
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You can watch a short video of the Summerlin Giving Machine unveiling below:
In 2019, music icon and Las Vegas performer Donny Osmond helped unveil the Giving Machine in Summerlin.
Opportunity Village is one of the local nonprofits you can “vend” donations for at the Summerlin Giving Machine—the same local group Reynolds worked with for his Eagle Scout project as a teenager, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The Giving Machine also offers opportunities to benefit other nonprofits in the area such as Communities in Schools of Nevada, Eye Care 4 Kids, Three Square, and Future Smiles, as well as global beneficiaries like United Nations High Commission for Refugees and Church World Service Global.
To stay updated on how you can reach out and serve during this holiday season, visit www.LightTheWorld.org.
