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Las Vegas Spartans Alumni Club raises funds for areas in need after shooting

October 5, 2017
People visit and pay their respects at a makeshift memorial for the victims of the recent mass shooting on Reno Ave and Las Vegas Blvd. on Oct. 3, 2017 in Las Vegas. Photo by Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times/TNS.
People visit and pay their respects at a makeshift memorial for the victims of the recent mass shooting on Reno Ave and Las Vegas Blvd. on Oct. 3, 2017 in Las Vegas. Photo by Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times/TNS. —

The Las Vegas Spartans Alumni Club is raising money for the areas in Las Vegas that are in need after the mass shooting that left 59 dead and over 500 injured Sunday evening. The group has started a GoFundMe and will also be donating profits made from t-shirt sales and 50/50 raffle tickets during itbs annual game watch on Oct. 7.

“We set up a GoFundMe because a lot of the different clubs around the U.S. have all reached out to us and have been really awesome and they asked if there was any way they can help," Las Vegas Spartans Board Member Megan Yaroch said.

The game watch will be hosted at Bubby's University, a Spartan-owned bar in Las Vegas, and will be set up differently this year due to the events of the week. Alumni and other community members will be saying a few words, accepting donations and offering support. The Las Vegas Spartans are also planning to promote "#VegasStrong" on social media by posting pictures of supporters holding up signs that show solidarity.  

“A lot of the Spartan community here actually had friends and family there, some that they have lost, some that are severely injured," Yaroch said. "So we’re doing it as a community to be there for each other because we are really close-knit here." 

Yaroch said that the places and people in need of help, supplies and donations the most around Las Vegas are changing on the daily, ranging from the victims to hospitals to first responders. The club aims to divide the money after the game watch or on Monday and then determine where they'll be sending it to.The goal is set to $1,000 but Yaroch believes they'll raise even more than that. 

“We’ve gotten so much outreach, everything from the main MSU Alumni Association, reaching out saying they’ll help whoever needs anything, whether someone was hurt or some of their family members," Yaroch said. "We’re just more or less sort of humbled and surprised by the great outreach from literally all over the U.S., including Michigan State, has been just tremendous help. And that’s really helped give us the drive as a small community and club here.”  

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