Pulte marks 10th year in Las Vegas

Pulte Homes marked its 10th anniversary of building homes in Las Vegas this year and, to mark the occasion, the builder hosted special events throughout the year for area children.

Company employees chose 10 ways to show their gratitude, which involved donating time, expertise, supplies and books to local schools.

"Pulte Homes really understands the importance of education for children in our community," division President Randy Bury said. "... And what better way to do that than to donate our time and experience to our local students?"

The first stop was Kit Carson Elementary School in Las Vegas, where Bury read to youngsters and presented them with much-needed school supplies.

Meantime, Nat Hodgson, construction manager, taught an energy conservation class at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

At Ann T. Lynch Elementary School in Las Vegas, third-graders got into the Halloween spirit and decorated 200-plus pumpkins provided by Pulte. Each child later thanked the builder with a handwritten note and a drawing.

Joe Whatley, vice president of sales, headed to Sunrise Acres Elementary School in Las Vegas to discuss Halloween safety with the assistance of two Metropolitan Police officers. Whatley gave the youngsters "safety armbands" to wear while trick-or-treating.

Ronnow Elementary School in Las Vegas was where John Mayer, senior project manager of land development, and Robert Sprague, recruiting manager, spent an afternoon with fifth-graders. The pupils were put into groups and with one member of the group blindfolded, the others helped him build a home out of building blocks. The lesson was the importance of teamwork.

Sprague also hosted a construction career day for wood-shop students at Palo Verde High School in Summerlin. He discussed home-building industry topics such as job opportunities, constructing homes from start to finish, marketing and sales, customer service and energy efficiency.

Mary Berarducci, special projects coordinator, and Leigh Ann Williamson, executive assistant, teamed up to offer Thanksgiving dinner for families in need who were selected by the principals at Garrett Middle School in Boulder City and CT Sewell Elementary School in Henderson. Pulte provided 11 Thanksgiving baskets in addition to a $20 gift certificate for each family to purchase a turkey.

Rick Craine, area construction manager, dressed as Santa and spent an afternoon reading "The Polar Express" to the children at Wilhelm Elementary School in North Las Vegas. Pulte donated a copy of the Christmas story to each child.

Most recently, the builder sponsored a coat drive for at-risk youngsters from Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary in Las Vegas. The children selected walk to school without jackets or coats to keep them warm because their families may be unable to afford them. Pulte collected about 80 jackets and coats and delivered them to Yve Abbey and Gina Eilers, both early childhood teachers at the school.

"It is really easy to take even the little things in our lives for granted," Berarducci said. "To be able to know that we can provide warmth to a child during the holiday season is a wonderful feeling and makes one realize just how fortunate we are."

To conclude the anniversary celebration, Pulte held a toy drive to benefit Candlelighters For Childhood Cancer of Southern Nevada, a nonprofit support group for families of children with cancer. The builder collected and wrapped more than 300 toys for the organization.

"This will be truly memorable for Pulte Homes," Bury said. "I hope that we can look back and say we made a difference in a child's life, even if it was just for a day."

Pulte is developing 10 neighborhoods in Southern Nevada.

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