The 89 lights around the circumference of the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign will be flipped to green in a brief ceremony in recognition of Mental Health Action Day on Thursday, May 16 at 8:30 a.m.
As part of the event, Clark County commissioners will recognize Boys Town Nevada and have declared it “Boys Town Nevada – Mental Health Action Awareness Day.”
“Mental Health Action Day is a reminder to shift mental health culture from awareness to action,” said Commissioner Justin Jones. “We must empower people to take action to boost their own mental health and to be on the lookout for when friends and family may need help. Boys Town Nevada has been part of the mental health safety net in Clark County for more than three decades and I’m happy to recognize them for their work in improving our community’s quality of life.”
“Boys Town is proud to be a part of reminding our community about the importance of mental health,” said John Etzell, Boys Town Nevada executive director. “Our research-based programs at Boys Town are a beacon of hope for children and families who often suffer from mental health issues.”
Boys Town Nevada opened its doors in 1991, bringing an innovative approach to child and family care to those in need in the Greater Las Vegas area. Its continuum of services includes family-based services, such as In-Home Family Services and Common Sense Parenting classes, which prevent disruption in the home and facilitate reunification by ensuring that families have the support and skills they need to create and maintain a safe, stable environment for their children. Boys Town Nevada is headquartered in Las Vegas and directly served and impacted 68,000 children in 2023.
Thursday’s recognition is supported by Molina Healthcare, Silvia and Kevin Buckley of Freedom House Sober Living and First Real Estate Companies.
The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign is located on the Las Vegas Strip south of Russell Road and was created in 1959 after the Clark County Commission approved funding for the project on what was then Highway 91. Submitting the lowest qualified bid was Western Electric Display, Inc. (aka “Western Neon”), purchased by YESCO in the 1960s. The design, characteristic of the Googie architecture movement, was created by Betty Willis. The 25-foot-tall sign was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009, Clark County’s centennial year. The sign, like the rest of the Las Vegas Strip, is in unincorporated Clark County.