License plate sale raises more than $1 million

Sales from the Las Vegas Centennial commemorative license plates raised more than $1 million as of Sept. 1 for the festivities surrounding the city's 100th birthday next year.

The Department of Motor Vehicles reported that as of Oct. 1, there were 31,875 actively registered Centennial plates on Las Vegas Valley roads. The plate has become the most popular, beating out the Lake Tahoe preservation plate by 13,464 plates.

The plate depicts the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign, designed by Betty Willis in 1959.

The plates were released for sale in Oct. 2002, and a state statute requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to stop selling them by the end of 2005. A bill requesting an extension already has been drafted and will come before the next Legislature when it meets in January, Stacy Allsbrook, executive director of the Centennial celebration, said in an Oct. 11 statement. If extended, proceeds from plate sales will fund Centennial Legacy projects after 2005.

The plates are available only through the Department of Motor Vehicles and cost $61 in addition to vehicle registration fees. The Las Vegas Centennial receives $25 from the initial sale and $20 for each plate renewal.

The Las Vegas Centennial committee has planned events throughout 2005, leading up to the actual birthday on May 15, and continuing through the end of the year. Planned events include the resurrection of Helldorado Days, City of 100 Murals and the World's Biggest Birthday Cake.

Money raised through sales of the license plates also benefits the Centennial grant program, for organizations and educators in Las Vegas.

Those interested in Centennial events can visit the Web site at www.lasvegas2005.org or call 229-2005.


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