Hello! I’m Marsala Rypka
An award-winning celebrity journalist with a passion for people, who are willing to open their hearts and share their stories; who use their platform to raise awareness about important issues.
CLASS is not about the possessions you have, but the person you are.
”
MARSALA RYPKA
Protecting the Herd – WildAid Keeps Endangered Species Safe Through Education
The statistics are heartbreaking. In 1970, there were 1.5 million African elephants; now there are 400,000. There were 100,000 lions; now there are 20,000. There were 65,000 black rhinos; now there are 5,000. Wildlife is in such peril that on March 19, 2018, global...
John Coogan | For Gold Star Families
John Coogan, president of the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation and The Folded Flag Foundation and a West Point graduate like Bill Foley, owner of the Vegas Golden Knights, says many military families who lose loved ones suffer in silence rather than ask for help. The...
Benson Riseman | for Disadvantaged Youth
Benson Riseman had no idea that growing up in the impoverished town of Chelsea, outside of Boston, and losing his dad when he was 6 would have such a profound effect on his life. There are many worthy causes, but Riseman says his sweet spot is helping disadvantaged...
Nevada Donor Network President – Joe Ferreira
For more than 20 years, Nevada Donor Network president and chief executive officer Joe Ferreira’s job has been filled with sorrow and joy. He has sat with grieving families that have lost loved ones, and seen their pain transform into purpose as the organs and tissue...
Vegas Goes Virgin: Richard Branson Buys the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel
It’s exciting news for Las Vegas: There’s a new man in town, and it’s Richard Branson. “I’m still pinching myself,” said the barefoot billionaire while popping a bottle of champagne poolside where he announced he is the new owner of the iconic Hard Rock Hotel &...
Stephen Hawking — A Brilliant Mind, An Extraordinary Life
The world lost a genius when Stephen Hawking died on March 14, at the age of 76. Amazingly the theoretical physicist, cosmologist and mathematician, who achieved rock star status, lived 53 years longer than the two years doctors predicted in 1963, an accomplishment...
First-Time Nominee Allison Janney Wins An Oscar at 58 Years Old
Allison Janney is one of those rare actors who has had a successful career in film, on TV and Broadway. Yet despite winning four prime-time Emmy Awards for her role as C.J. Cregg, press secretary turned chief of staff, on the NBC hit drama, “The West Wing”...
A Look Back: 50 Years After Peggy Fleming Won the Only 1968 Winter Olympics U.S. Gold Medal
As the world settled in to watch this year’s Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, held Feb. 7-25, it witnessed a pivotal moment when both Koreas entered the opening ceremony under a unified flag. America sent 242 athletes to Pyeongchang, where we came in...
Melissa Manchester Has Class: The Singer Shares Knowledge with Students
When Melissa Manchester was a young girl in New York dreaming of a recording career, she never imagined she would achieve star status. Not only did she become the first singer in history to be nominated for two Academy Awards in the same year and has earned a Grammy...
The New JAY-Z — Authentic, Vulnerable and Contrite
There’s a lot of “new” happening in JAY-Z’s life these days. There’s the new stylization of his name (again); a new champagne; two new babies; a new confessional album that some are calling his best work; and a new website, Life + Times. All this newness...