LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Backstreet Boys fans and holiday shoppers gathered in Downtown Summerlin Thursday as singer Nick Carter helped launch the 2026 Giving Machine season.
Carter joined the ribbon-cutting celebration and made a donation as the machines returned to Southern Nevada for the holidays.
“Make some noise if you came in, you’re a Backstreet Boys fan,” Carter told the crowd.
The red vending machines offer a way to donate to local and international charities. Instead of buying a snack, donors choose a charitable item and pay with a credit or debit card. Gifts available this year range from meals and diapers to school water filters and medical supplies.
Giving Machines are available at Downtown Summerlin and The District at Green Valley Ranch through Jan. 3, 2027.
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The Giving Machine program began in 2017 and is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church says it covers the initiative’s operating costs, so 100% of donations go to participating charities.
Downtown Summerlin first hosted a Giving Machine in 2019. Since then, Southern Nevadans have donated nearly $4 million and purchased almost 200,000 items.
For Carter, the holiday season is also about spending time with loved ones. He told FOX5 that his family’s Christmas dinner brings together some of their favorite traditions.
“Christmas is always a special holiday for me and my family. My wife’s always cooking a really, really great meal. She’s Latina, so she gets a little tamales in there, mixes it in with a turkey. It’s about the spirit of being a family and coming together,” Carter said.
Carter also reflected on what he appreciates about the Las Vegas community, from meeting residents to spending time at his son’s baseball field.
“It’s just the heart of the people out here,” he said.
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