Page 15 - May 2004 • Southern California Gaming Guide

OThe Tribal Spirit of Giving
ver the past years, gaming tribes throughout California have continually donated extraor- dinary amounts of money to community charities, education, and public safety. Yet in these times of California state budget shortfalls, gaming tribes are being asked to pay their
”fair share.” How much is enough?
Gaming tribes not only pay over $130 million annually into the Special Distribution Fund to o set
casino impacts on communities, but without being asked, have established a tradition of giving within their communities. Each month this feature brings you news of Southern California gaming tribes’ extraordinary philanthropy. In the next months we will also bring you up to date on the
landscape of California gaming.
Agua Caliente Band Donates Over $1 Million Tto Local Agencies and Nonprofits
he Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Legion and Special
just a part of the money that the tribe is giving back to the community. The Agua Caliente Tribe has paid $8 million into a statewide fund created by state legislators to help pay for the impact of casinos on surrounding communities.
Two recipients are organizations to aid and support recovery of problem gamblers, the California Council on Problem Gambling and the Council on Compulsive Gambling of California.
The largest donations were given to the
Assistance League of Palm Springs ($60,000), the Braille Institute ($50,000), College of the Desert ($50,000), Mizell Senior Center ($50,000), Palm Springs Fire Department ($80,000), and the Palm Springs Unified School
District ($60,000). Barbara Gonzalez Lyons, vice chairman of the tribe, said that the gifts were in addition to the $10.6 million that will be sent to Riverside County from the Special Distribution Fund, contributed
to by the 28 gaming tribes in the state.
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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
Indians dispersed over $1 million
to 71 Coachella Valley government agencies and community organizations in mid April during its ninth annual Tribal Donation Ceremony. During the past nine years the tribe has given approximately $7.6 million primarily to groups serving youth, seniors and public safety agencies.
Some of the charities that received money from the tribe included the United Way, the American
Olympics, all who
had received thou-
sands of dollars at ceremo- nies in years past.
The Enduring Freedom
KIA Fund, a Palm Springs-
based charity which gives $1,000
grants to the widows of U.S. service members killed in action, received $5,000 from the tribe on Friday.
Agua Caliente Chairman Richard Milanovich
stated that the $1,054,500 the tribe dispensed was
May 2004 Page 15
Tribes in the News