300 people join parade to say thanks to physicians and nurses

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals, families and businesses in Las Vegas are stepping up to offer relief to people in the community who are in need of food, services and support. Here are stories about people who are leading with kindness and proving the community is #VegasStrong.

Parade for health care workers

A parade of about 160 vehicles celebrated Southwest Medical physicians and nurse practitioners at OptumCare offices on Thursday.

The parade, organized by Southwest Medical, attracted about 300 fellow health care workers and patients who decorated their cars with signs and balloons as a way of saying thanks.

The 21 doctors and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses who were honored have been making the rounds to care for patients in area hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, some of whom are being treated for COVID-19.

World Central Kitchen, Sahara Las Vegas feed thousands in Las Vegas

Over the past two weeks, Sahara Las Vegas teamed up with Chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen to support health care heroes and first responders across Southern Nevada.

World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit organization that provides meals in the wake of natural disasters, is now active in dozens of cities providing nearly 200,000 fresh meals every day. They provided more than 2,000 health care workers and 400 first responders with meals in Southern Nevada.

The culinary team from Sahara, including Executive Chef Alex Pitts from Bazaar Meat by José Andrés, prepared and delivered meals to more than 20 OptumCare Nevada health care and UMC Quick Care locations as well as the Henderson Police Department.

Allegiant donates to community food pantry

Allegiant team members donated a van full of crackers, cookies and assorted snacks, sodas and juices on Thursday to a neighborhood food pantry that was founded as a resource for Las Vegans impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The donation of 96 cases of soda, 15 cases of juice, hundreds of packages of pretzels, crackers and other snack items was originally purchased by the airline to serve on flights in March, when visitors would typically travel en masse to Las Vegas for NCAA basketball tournaments and other events.

Now the food and drinks will supplement care packages that the Vegas Community Pantry has been delivering to locals who find themselves in need as a result of the pandemic. Allegiant chose the Vegas Community Pantry because of its neighborhood location.

The pantry is operated out of founder Jeana Taylor’s garage.

Taylor is a performer in Cirque du Soleil’s “Ka.” The day after she was furloughed from her job, Taylor and two friends created a Vegas Community Pantry Facebook page to help acquire, store and deliver food to neighbors who are in need.

“There are so many people falling through the cracks,” Taylor says. “This pantry is supposed to help them while they get on their feet. Without the people who donate items to us or volunteer to deliver these packages to the people in need, this would all be meaningless.”

Contact Janna Karel at jkarel@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jannainprogress on Twitter. Contact Madelon Hynes at mrhynes@reviewjournal.com.