Jeremy Renner’s near-fatal accident inspires event in Las Vegas | Cats | Entertainment

It’s not an ordinary day when you get to talk to a high-profile actor about how being run over by a snowplow inspired him to host a charity event on the Strip.

But Jeremy Renner is not an ordinary person.

The “Avengers” star survived that horrific accident near his home in Reno on New Year’s Day 2023 and changed priorities in his life and career. Focused on giving back, Renner is hosting the RennerVation Foundation’s Heroes Fore Kids charity weekend in Las Vegas on Saturday and Sunday.

The weekend includes a celebrity golf and poker tournament and an all-star concert on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. (doors) at the Brooklyn Bowl. Robin Zander from Cheap trick, Gavin Rossdale from bush, Robin Thicke (“Blurred Lines”), Richard Page from Sir, Rob Base (“It takes two”) and Skip Martin (formerly from Kool & The gear) should all appear. (For information about the event and the charity, visit rennervationfoundation.org.)

The film was shot

Outside of his philanthropic efforts, Renner has made a splash in Las Vegas, spearheading efforts to advance the film industry statewide in Nevada. The Hurt Locker actor has represented the interests of Northern Nevada Mark Wahlberg has promoted Southern Nevada as a potential film mecca.

This year, Warner Bros., Discovery and Sony Entertainment partnered with Howard Hughes Corp. Plans unveiled to develop film and television studio projects in southern Nevada. According to an economic study, such a project could create up to 16,000 jobs in the region.

Wahlberg and Renner both spoke in favor of Senate Bill 496 during the 2023 legislative session, which would have provided nearly $200 million in tax credits for film infrastructure over two decades.

The bill never came to a vote. But Renner says of the film industry’s move into the state: “I think it has to happen and it will happen.”

“I think it’s gaining more traction,” Renner continued in a phone conversation last week. “I think it’s going to happen all over Nevada, and it’s super exciting.” Asked if he would appear before the House again, the actor said, “I have, but I haven’t seen a bill yet . But I fully support creating a very competitive tax credit for the film industry. We could have the best entertainment center in the country, if not the world.

“I’m for it, I’m totally there.”

The foundation of the foundation

The RennerVation Foundation supports children in foster care and at-risk youth. The organization provides children with a safe haven to grow and the opportunity to develop skills and confidence. More than 100 children experienced nature in Lake Tahoe, near Renner’s home.

Many of these children picked up a musical instrument for the first time.

RennerVation was founded 10 months ago, about a year after Renner’s life-changing and near-life-threatening accident in Tahoe. Renner was struck by a snow groomer while saving his nephew from being run over by the 14,000-pound machine. He suffered 38 broken bones and temporarily lost an eye in the accident.

the “Hawkeye” actor told the talk show host Jimmy Fallon Five months after the accident, he was conscious all the time and struggled to breathe.

“It’s like seeing your eye out of the other eye because my eyeball was out,” Renner said. “So you have weird things that go through your head, like, ‘Well, I guess that’s real, but I’ll worry about that later,'” Renner said. “And I look at my legs. They were all twisted and I’ll worry about that later because I have to worry about breathing first, right?”

Renner said the event sharpened his interest in philanthropic work. The foundation is the next step in Renner’s four-part “RennerVations” series on Disney.

“I don’t know if it’s a matter of which comes first, the chicken or the egg, but that’s kind of been cooked up, starting with the ‘RennerVations’ series,” Renner said, referring to the shows that featured him showed how he imagined new purpose-built vehicles. “But the accident pushed me in that direction. It took me a few moments to figure out where I wanted to go in my life. It’s really important to me to do this for the kids and for the community.”

Renner drew inspiration from his immediate family and those closest to him to advance the project. His sister Kym Renner works for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. One of his best friends, Shana Rogerslives in Las Vegas and is vice president of the ReinnerVation Foundation.

“To be honest, the reason this became a reality is because of the women in my life,” Renner said. “These are all people who help me run the foundation. They are the ones who put me in the role of foster youth from the beginning.”

Check out the “Cart Girl”

Renner says he’s better as a presenter than as a producer of charity events.

“A lot of it is outside of my wheelhouse,” the actor said. “I don’t usually get involved in things like that, I usually just focus on activities for the kids, right? This is more of a fundraising event for adults and supporters of the foundation. But I’m just a big kid myself.”

Renner, for example, is not a golfer. But he found a way to participate in the golf tournament.

“I guess I’ll be the cart girl,” the 53-year-old movie star said. “I go around and just entertain people while playing golf. We’re going to have a lot of fun with it.”

Cool hang alarm

Blake Lewis, The American Idol Season 6 runner-up plays the Nowhere Lounge in Fontainebleau on Fridays and Saturdays from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Lewis is an accomplished singer and beatboxer. During his appearance on “Idol” in 2007, Lewis’ beatboxing and scat skills led him to the finals of the show, where he lost Jordin Sparks. Not bad. For more information, visit fontainebleaulasvegas.com.

John Katsilometes’ column appears daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” The podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.