A Stirling Effort in Support of Teachers

The Stirling Club is the venue of choice for many companies and organizations. One of them, The Executive Lounge, hosts member mixers every Tuesday night. The mixers, referred to as “The Tomb,” are modeled after East Coast secret societies, making the piano lounge and cigar bar an especially fitting venue.

The Tomb provides an opportunity for professionals, socialites, entrepreneurs, and other like-minded people to enjoy art, food, wine, current events, travel, leisure, and a little business. Their motto, “social first, business second,” encourages members (loungers) to build genuine friendships that lead to long-lasting business relationships.

On Sept. 22, The Tomb became much more than a social mixer, featuring Lon Kruger, UNLV men’s basketball coach, and the Tickets for Teachers program.

The program provides two season tickets (football and basketball) to every elementary and middle school in the district. Principals are then encouraged to use the tickets as a teacher incentive or for recognition. Tickets are provided through ‘angel’ donations from community members.

"The atmosphere of the event was great," said Christa McGraw, who takes the lead on community outreach for Coach Kruger. "It allowed us to reach people we would not have otherwise and raise awareness for the program. We are thankful for their support."

During the “The Tomb" mixer, loungers were asked to make a voluntary $20 donation in support of the program. In return, they received a complimentary ‘teacher-tini’ (a.k.a. a zesty cosmo). Thanks to their support, The Executive Lounge and The Stirling Club funded more than 120 of the 274 schools in a single evening.

As this was the first fundraising event for the program since it was started a year ago, Coach Kruger seemed especially humbled by the support. After a sharing a few inspirational words with the guests, he took the time to mingle with guests and express his gratitude on an individual basis.

"It's been wonderful to see UNLV fans come together to say 'thank you' to our community's teachers," said coach Kruger.

There is still time to show your support. If you would like to make a donation in support of Tickets for Teachers click here for a basketball ticket order form or here for the football ticket order form.