One of 35 Panda Cares Center of Hope across the country now open in Southern Nevada
LAS VEGAS – A partnership between Panda Express and Boys & Girls Clubs of America has brought a new program providing a learning, engaging and growing environment for kids and teens to Southern Nevada. Representatives of both organizations joined local Boys Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada staff and youth for the ribbon-cutting event for the Panda Cares Center of Hope at the Donald W. Reynolds Clubhouse in Henderson. Panda Cares Center of Hope are spaces created to provide the resources and support club members need to develop their academic and life skills to succeed for a brighter future.
Panda Cares is the philanthropic foundation of Panda Express, and the opening of the new Center of Hope aligns directly with Panda Express’ commitment to foster academic success among Boys & Girls Clubs members across the country. It also complements Boys & Girls Clubs’ mission to help youth, particularly the most vulnerable, reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
The Donald W. Reynolds Clubhouse is one of 35 clubs nationwide to receive a Panda Cares Center of Hope. This newly renovated space within the Donald W. Reynolds Clubhouse is designed to deliver more joy, education, and critical social-emotional development to local communities. Project Learn, the platform that unites each Center of Hope, is a holistic strategy intended to reinforce and enhance what youth learn during the school day, while creating experiences that invite them to fall in love with learning. Rooted in social-emotional development, this program is based on research showing that students do better in school when they spend their non-school hours engaged in fun and academically beneficial activities. This Panda Cares Center of Hope is designed to meet the needs of club members and includes new multi-functional modular furniture, new art, and new technology for them to learn, engage, and grow.
“We’re so appreciative of our partnership with Panda Express and the Panda Cares Foundation,” said Jim Clark, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “The Panda Cares Center of Hope is designed with the right tools and right atmosphere so that youth are both emotionally and physically in a good place with surroundings that are conducive to absorbing learning and educational programs.”
In addition to the ribbon-cutting ceremony, there were tours of the new center and various activities for club members, including games, making fortune tellers, creating colorful pandas, and, of course, Panda Express Orange Chicken, rice and fortune cookies. The Panda Express Prize Wheel was busy with youth spinning for Panda Express school kits, gift cards for meals, tote bags and notebooks; Pei Pei, the Panda Express stuffed animal; and packages of fortune cookies.
Local Panda Express employees have been volunteering at different clubs across Southern Nevada on a regular basis. As a surprise, local Panda Express Restaurants purchased holiday gifts for the 90 youth in attendance at the Reynold Clubhouse.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada
Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada is a non-profit organization with 13 Clubhouses throughout Southern Nevada. Our mission is to enable young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Focused on three main impact areas – Academic Success, Healthy Lifestyles and Good Character & Leadership – Clubhouses provide a safe, supportive place to go (both physically and mentally), life-changing opportunities, and the chance for youth to learn, grow, and become who they want to be. Serving nearly 1,500 youth each day between the ages of 6-18, Clubs operate Monday through Friday before and after school, with extended hours over school breaks such as spring break, winter break and over the summer. For more information: www.bgcsnv.org | Facebook @BGCSNV | Instagram @BGCSNV | Twitter @BGCSNV | 702-367-2582
About Panda Express
On a mission to inspire better lives, Panda Express® is the largest Asian dining concept in the U.S. Family-owned and operated since 1983 by co-founders and co-CEOs Andrew and Peggy Cherng, Panda Express is best known as a trailblazer for creating a wide variety of industry-first recipes, including its best seller the Original Orange Chicken® and award-winning Honey Walnut Shrimp™, which have defined the category of authentic American Chinese cuisine. Each dish at Panda Express, including the Wok Smart® selections, is thoughtfully crafted with quality ingredients and inspired by bold Chinese flavors and culinary principles. The restaurant brand has more than 2,400 locations and has introduced American Chinese cuisine to twelve international countries.
Powered by this global family of associates, Panda Cares® the philanthropic arm of Panda Express, has raised more than $282 million and dedicated countless volunteer hours in bettering the health and education for over 13 million youths, as well as supporting communities in need since 1999. In 2020, the organization established the Panda Cares Scholars Program to provide the necessary funding,- academic support and leadership development to help high school and college students learn, lead and thrive towards a bright future. For more information, visit pandaexpress.com or pandacares.org.
