Gillian (LEFT) and Kevyn Wynn are devoted sisters and mothers
Gillian and Kevyn Wynn are not what one might expect from two women who call Las Vegas their hometown and billionaire casino developer Steve Wynn their father. They can often be found at Gillian’s Santa Monica abode wearing yoga pants and minimal makeup, snacking on kale chips in the kitchen while scheduling play dates between their broods—Gillian has four children, Kevyn, three.
Both sisters are low-key, engaging, and warm. They are also clearly devoted to each other. Kevyn, the elder by two-and-a-half years, just purchased a house in Gillian’s neighborhood. “We’ve found that our happiness increases when the distance between us decreases,” says Gillian, who, like her sister, is a single mom. Their Sun Valley vacation homes are equally close. “We’re eight minutes away,” says Kevyn. “I timed it once.”
Team Wynn for Charity
It’s this strong sisterly bond that’s made the Wynns an asset on the LA charity circuit, where they’ve begun working as a packaged deal. Recently Gillian and Kevyn signed on as chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Trey McIntyre Project’s (TMP) Sun Valley Dance 2012 program. The 10-day summer intensive, slated for next August, will feature training, movement, and professional classes for all ages and skill ranges, including workshops with McIntyre and gratis lessons for underprivileged youth. (For eager dance lovers who can’t wait until 2012, TMP performs November 22 at Walt Disney Concert Hall.) The women credit their mother, Elaine, a well-known philanthropist in her own right, with instilling in them an appreciation of dance and the arts in general. (Their father’s collection of world-class art probably didn’t hurt either.)
Back in LA, Gillian, who serves as an ambassador and Chairman’s Council member for the Arlington, Virginia-based Conservation International, has been planning a cultivation dinner for the global-conservation organization that will take place this month. And Kevyn will join her in planning the nonprofit’s 500-person spring gala. Cohosting a June event honoring the Bolshoi Ballet’s performance at Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at the Music Center rounds out their spring agenda.
Ultimately, while both sisters would like to be involved with more causes, they are wary of spreading themselves too thin. “You only have so much time,” says Kevyn, “especially when you have kids that need help with their homework.”
