Las Vegas Review-Journal

Lawyer gives fund boost by sharing link

- By David Ferrara Las Vegas Review-journal

For weeks since the Route 91 Harvest festival massacre, attorney Paola Armeni’s name has sat atop the Gofundme page for the Las Vegas Victims Fund.

With a $10,210 figure, Armeni is listed as the person with the “most raised from sharing.”

Armeni, who donated $500 herself and shared the link on her Facebook page, said she was unaware of the designatio­n until contacted by a friend.

“I was a little bit surprised myself,” she said, pointing out that much of what she raised through sharing came from former Las Vegas auto dealer Pat Clark, who donated $10,000.

Through Armeni, Clark declined to comment on his donation.

After a gunman opened fire on the concert, killing 58 and injuring hundreds, Armeni found the crowdfundi­ng site and contribute­d, knowing that blood banks would be full. The shooting occurred on the night of Oct. 1, a Sunday.

“It was devastatin­g. It was my hometown,” said Armeni, who has lived in Las Vegas since she was a young teenager. “I spent most of Monday crying. This was something I could do and try to make some sort of difference as quickly as I could.”

Armeni is managing partner with the firm Gentile, Cristalli, Miller, Armeni, Savarese.

The Gofundme page, created on Oct. 2 by Clark County Commission­er Steve Sisolak, had raised more than $11.5 million of a $15 million goal.

Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@ reviewjour­nal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoke­r on Twitter.

 ??  ?? Paola Armeni
Paola Armeni

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