The Randy Report: Las Vegas: Opportunity Village Opens "The Magical Forest 2016"

Easily one of the holiday season's brightest highlights in Las Vegas is Opportunity Village's "Magical Forest."

From Thanksgiving to New Years, folks of all ages can enjoy the magic and fantasy of Christmas lights, music and more at the annual Opportunity Village attraction.

This past Friday, Australia's most successful vocal group, Human Nature, and the world famous Chippendales joined Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman and Nevada Congresswoman Dina Titus for the lighting of the "Magical Forest" Christmas tree.

"The Magical Forest" is a winter wonderland with millions of sparkling lights, nightly entertainment, great food and endless cheer not to be missed during the holiday season.

From the official website:

Opportunity Village is a not-for-profit organization serving children and adults in the southern Nevada community with intellectual disabilities, to enhance their lives and the lives of the families who love them. Opportunity Village is dedicated to helping people become the very best they can be. Through vocational training, community employment, day services, advocacy, arts and social recreation, citizens with severe disabilities are able to find new friends, realize future career paths, seek independence and community integration and unleash creative passions.

Through hard work, sweat, and a little luck, Opportunity Village has helped southern Nevada’s most vulnerable citizens integrate into the community through wage-paying jobs. These jobs provide opportunities for these individuals to display and be rewarded for their talent and achievement while gaining a measure of independence. It’s no wonder that Opportunity Village has earned the distinction of “Las Vegas’ Best Community Organization.”

Almost entirely self-funded, Opportunity Village is possible because southern Nevadans realize the value in supporting their neighbors with intellectual disabilities. In our society, people with disabilities live their live being told what they can’t do. Opportunity Village strives to break that stigma, encouraging the people it serves to follow their dreams.

As regular readers of The Randy Report know, opportunities for those folks with special challenges hold an important place on my blog. From my brother, who is a bright light as he shines through Autism Spectrum Disorder, to the amazing athletes who inspire us every four years at the Special Olympics.

If you've never been to the "Magical Forest," you really should put it on your must-see list for December. Check out some pics from the tree lighting event, then make sure you go get some Christmas cheer thanks to Opportunity Village.