Mapei has partnered with the charity organization AEC Cares for “ProjectVegas,” donating time and materials in order to improve conditions at the Las Vegas Rescue Mission (LVRM) in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Rescue Mission is composed of a campus that takes up two city blocks in downtown Las Vegas and provides beds, clothing, and recovery programs, as well as an estimated 30,000 meals to hundreds of men, women and children per month.
As a Christian, nonprofit organization, LVRM depends on the donations of volunteers to continue providing services and to ensure that the building itself is adequate. Consequently, AEC Cares adopted LVRM as the program’s 2019 “Blitz Build” day-long building project.
On June 5, the day before AIA’19 Conference on Architecture opened, the Mapei team joined with more than 100 volunteers from throughout the industry to paint, repair and clean LVRM’s chapel and gym using donated products.
LVRM’s CEO Heather Engle described the event: “When people come into the mission with the sole purpose of wanting to help, with no agenda other than lifting up the souls of others, it is a gift that is not definable by words. A clean and dignified space changes people, they stand up a little straighter and their pride is brighter. The ripple effects created by the time and generosity of Mapei will go on for a very long time.”
Mapei has been a participating sponsor in every AEC Cares project since the first one in 2007. Mike Granatowski, Mapei’s Director of Architectural and Commercial Projects, has been instrumental in organizing Mapei’s involvement with AEC Cares events. He described this year’s project as “another huge success. Working together over the course of one day, architects, engineers, contractors and manufacturers’ representatives renovated the Rescue Mission’s chapel and gym. As always, it was a great day of hard work for a very worthwhile cause.”
In support of AEC Cares ProjectVegas, “Mapei supplied Planipatch®, our polymer-modified, fast-setting, cementitious patch for patching the floor in the gym; and Ultrasport™ PU 2K, our premium, two-part, polyurethane sports flooring adhesive for installing rubber flooring in the gym and in the chapel. We also supplied Ultrabond ECO® 85, our quick-grab carpet adhesive for carpet installation throughout,” Granatowski continued. “These rapid-setting products are perfect for use in a blitz-build installation. When you only have one afternoon, speed and durability count. These products provide high quality and high speed.”
Steven Day, Mapei’s Director of Operational Marketing, was also on hand as he has been for each of the 8 years that the program has been in existence. Day said, “Mapei is always looking to find and participate in these types of events on an annual basis. We strive to give back to the community whenever possible.”
Founded in 2011, AEC Cares is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization composed of architects, engineers and contractors, as well as manufacturers’ representatives who assemble teams of professionals, once a year, from the United States to donate time and products in order to renovate an at-risk facility. For more information, visit www.aeccares.com.
About Mapei
Established in 1937, Mapei Group is globally headquartered in Italy with 87 subsidiaries, including 81 plants in 35 countries. Mapei is the world-leading manufacturer of mortars, grouts, adhesives and complementary products for installing all types of flooring and wall coverings. The company specializes in developing chemical products for every aspect of construction, from waterproofing and structural strengthening to concrete repairs and tunnel building.
Headquartered in Deerfield Beach (Florida), Mapei North America consists of the subsidiaries Mapei Corporation (for the USA), Mapei Inc. (for Canada) and Mapei Caribe (for Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands), whose 18 facilities collectively have a workforce of more than 1,600 employees. Mapei facilities have been certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards. An environmentally conscious manufacturer that reinvests 5% of its revenue into R&D, Mapei offers training for architects, contractors, installers and distributors through the Mapei Technical Institute. For more about Mapei, visit www.mapei.com or call 1-800-42-Mapei (1-800-426-2734).
