Mondays Dark Turns Five! December 17 Party Celebrates 2018 Beneficiaries, Announces 2019 Charities – Philanthropic Variety Show to Hit $1 Million Raised for Charity Next Year
It’s time for cheers, charity and fun for the fifth anniversary celebration of Mondays Dark, the twice-monthly celebrity-driven variety show benefitting local nonprofit organizations. With 42 charities under one roof, the anniversary party has become one of the largest philanthropic events of the year. It happens Monday, Dec. 17 at The Joint inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. (Pictured: Mark Shunock, Founder of Mondays Dark – Photo credit: Ira Kuzma – www.IraKuzmaPhotos.com).
Guests will enjoy a stellar night with some of Las Vegas’ top entertainers who will be announced in the coming weeks. Festivities also will include a live and silent auction with art, show and concert tickets, dining packages, spa treatments, jewelry and other great prizes, and the reveal of the 21 Mondays Dark beneficiaries for 2019.
“I can’t believe Mondays Dark is five years old. I love our year-end celebration which brings all of our partners together as well as our new ones for next year ‒ 42 local groups celebrating each other under one roof. It’s a cool party,” said Mark Shunock, entertainer and philanthropist who founded Mondays Dark. “In 2019, we’ll hit the $1 million mark in funds raised, and this is something our team is extremely proud of.”
The Mondays Dark 2018 lineup included: WHY Ranch/White Horse Youth Ranch Foundation, St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Miracle Flights, Baby’s Bounty, Tyler Robinson Foundation, HELP of Southern Nevada, New Vista, Positively Arts Foundation, Speedway Children’s Charities, Forgotten Not Gone, Cure 4 the Kids Foundation, Sin City Sisters of the Perpetual Indulgence, Leaders in Training, Down Syndrome Organization of Southern Nevada, Alzheimer’s Association Desert Southwest Chapter, Officer Down, Adam’s Place, Yellow Pants Project, Children’s Heart Foundation, and Las Vegas Firefighter Youth Hockey.
Shunock developed the idea to give back to the community and support local charities with Mondays Dark in 2013 when he was starring in the hit Broadway musical, “Rock of Ages.” He enlisted some of his entertainment friends to help, and Mondays Dark was born. The popularity and reach of the fundraisers has continued to grow with charities and performers eager to be involved. By year’s end, 80 nonprofits will have been helped.
Mondays Dark was named “Best of the City” from Vegas Seven in 2014 and “Best of Vegas” from Las Vegas Weekly the following year. In addition, Shunock received the 2014 Angel Award for Cultural Advocate/Entertainer of the Year and was named Best Philanthropist from “Best of Las Vegas” and the Las Vegas Review Journal and the Impact Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals Las Vegas Chapter for Mondays Dark.
Doors for the Mondays Dark fifth anniversary party open at 7 p.m., and the show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20, $30 and $40 per person. There are also seven VIP Box Suites available at $1,500 for 12 people including food and cocktails. The Hard Rock is located at 4455 Paradise Rd. Tickets are available at www.MondaysDark.com.
For additional information on Mondays Dark, including updates on The Space, programming and charitable events, visit www.MondaysDark.com or www.TheSpaceLV.com or connect via Instagram @MondaysDark, Twitter @Mondays_Dark or Facebook at www.facebook.com/MondaysDarkLasVegas.