Olympia Companies Charitable Foundation presented its 24th annual Governor’s Black Tie this past weekend (April 17-20). The four-day charity event has been supported by the Governor of Nevada since its inception and as the premier fundraising event in the state, has raised more than $28.5 million since 2000.
The festivities and invitational golf tournament commenced on Wednesday, April 17, with a VIP kickoff party featuring a cowboy cookout and live music. It reached its peak on Thursday, April 18, with the highly anticipated Grand Bash at M Resort Spa Casino. Hosted inside the Milan Ballroom at The M, the Grand Bash started with an impressive strolling-style dinner with cocktails, followed by the program inside the Pavilion.
After entering, the celebration continued with a rousing patriotic tribute sung by Nevada native and former American Idol contestant Johanna Lyn Jones. Following this, Garry Goett and OCCF Executive Director, Angela Rock, introduced the benefiting charities and launched the live auction, which showcased items such as a VIP Loge Box for a Raiders game, a private box at the Smith Center, an exclusive NFR experience, vacation packages from Inspirato, and more.
The spirited live auction garnered one the largest bid offerings yet - $150,000 for an exclusive 2024 Land Rover Defender donated by long-time event supporter Jaguar Land Rover Las Vegas. The evening continued with lively performances by country music royalty Joe Nichols followed by Double Grammy-nominees Midland that had attendees up on their feet and dancing the night away. New this year, attendees also had the opportunity to show support by making donations directly through a variety of apps.
The weekend events progressed on Friday with golf tournament play, followed by a formal, plated Governor’s Black Tie dinner at the Southern Highlands Golf Club, culminating with a ten-minute firework show. The event continued on Saturday, April 20 with the First Lady’s Luncheon, hosted by Nevada First Lady Donna Lombardo and featuring shopping provided by a variety of retailers from The Forum Shops at Caesars and The Shops at Crystals. The day further unfolded with tournament play, concluding Saturday afternoon with 12 golfers participating in a million-dollar shot competition and the closing awards ceremony.
This year, OCCF raised more than $1.5 million during the annual four-day event. Money raised from the weekend supports eight local charities including the Boys and Girls Club of Southern Nevada, Candlelighters, Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation, Children’s Heart Foundation, Assistance League of Las Vegas, Opportunity Village, Andson, and DISCOVERY Children’s Museum.
Since its first charitable event in 2000, Olympia Companies Charitable Foundation, founded by Garry Goett and Guy Inzalaco, has led the charge to improve the quality of life for families and children in Southern Nevada by raising $28 million from its various fundraising events and numerous philanthropic endeavors.
“We started this all 24 years ago with a simple goal: to make life better for families and kids in Southern Nevada who need a hand,” said Garry Goett, the founder of Olympia Companies Charitable Foundation and CEO of Olympia Companies. “At Olympia, we're all about supporting causes that match our vision and are so grateful to all the charity partners who put in the profound work. We couldn’t do this of course without the meaningful support of Governor Lombardo, our sponsors, and everyone who came out this year. Thank you so much for helping us to help others.”