Summerlin's `Salute to Schools' honors educators, employees

Nearly 2,000 employees of Summerlin schools were honored at the third annual "Salute to Schools," an event organized by the Summerlin Children's Forum.

Held at The Regent Las Vegas, the event featured a tribute by Clark County School District Superintendent Carlos Garcia, and individuals at 16 schools, both public and private, were applauded.

"Schools are at the heart of Summerlin," said Dan Van Epp, president of The Howard Hughes Corp. and founder of the Summerlin Children's Forum. "And at the heart of our schools are many unsung heroes and heroines -- teachers, nurses, office workers, janitors. They have dedicated their lives to our young people and we want them to know we appreciate it."

Founded in 1996, the Forum was established for the benefit of children within the Summerlin community and has established a $250,000 scholarship endowment to fund annual scholarships. It also funds various programs, activities and assemblies at the community's schools.

Summerlin aligns the western edge of the valley and is comprised of villages, each with a major park or golf course.

It is home to two Tournament Players Club golf courses, in addition to Bear's Best and five others.

Additional features include 100 neighborhood and village parks, more than 90 completed miles of trails, 16 schools, houses of worship, shopping centers, business parks, and medical centers.

Nearly 130 model homes are open in the community, which offers single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums priced from the mid-$100,000s to more than $700,000. Custom lots measuring from one-quarter acre to three-quarters of an acre are priced from the mid-$100,000s to more than $1 million, and predesigned custom homes are priced from $500,000 to more than $1 million. Apartments offer monthly rents starting from the $700s.

To visit the custom homes and lots sales center, take Sahara Avenue west, past Hualapai Way, to Town Center Drive. Or, take Interstate 215 to the Sahara exit. The office is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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