Page 23 - May 2005 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Gives $1 Million To
TDesert Community he Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
held its 10th annual donation event on April
8th and gave more than $1 million to civic organizations and charities in its desert community.
e event, titled “ e Tradition Continues,” was held in the Cahuilla Room at the Agua Caliente Casino and attended by more than 300 people. e ceremony/event included a multimedia presentation and entertainment by the Agua Caliente Bird Singers.
Gifts ranged from $2,500 to $60,000, with most donations between $5,000 and $10,000. Ninety organizations were the recipients, including police and re departments, public libraries, boys and girls clubs, and social service agencies.
e 2005 donations bring the 10-year total of community giving to more than $11 million, tribal
Chairman Richard Milanovich said. In additiontotheannualdonation,the tribe gives about another $500,000
each year to organizations. e
tribal donation committee makes its awards based on requests from the organizations.
e tribe has three priorities when making its allocations, Milanovich
said. Youth agencies are rst, followed
by agencies serving the elderly, and public agencies.
e Assistance League of Palm Springs received $60,000, and Angel View, which is a rst-time recipient with a donation of $50,000. $50,000 donations were also given to the Braille Institute and the Dora Joyce
Prieto Scholarship fund at Cal State San Bernardino. Dora Joyce Prieto was the rst tribal member to receive a university degree, and she championed education
among young people, Milanovich said.
One of the rst-time recipients was Stepping Stones of Palm Springs, an agency that supports at-risk students through tutoring and by helping them
develop skills to succeed at home and in school. Guide Dogs of the Desert, received $10,000,
bringing the total it has received from the tribe to $63,000.
Pechanga Sponsors Boys & Girls Clubs Event
On March 31st the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest County (BGCSWC) thanked Pechanga Resort and Casino for their continued support of the club.Pechangawasthepremieresponsorandhadhostedthe“OurKidsRock”
auction and dinner. With more than 1,000 people in attendance, the club grossed more than $417,000, shattering its previous mark of $300,000 from last year.
“Without the support of Pechanga, this event would not have had the opportunity to impact the community on such a large scale,” said Auction Chairman Terry Gilmore.
“For more than three years Pechanga has shown us every consideration in making this event a success.”
“We are proud to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest County. Youth development within our Valley is important to both Pechanga and our community’s future,” said Pechanga Development Corporation’s Board President Patrick Murphy.
...Tribes in the News Continues on Page 24
May 2005
Page 23
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
Southern California Tribes in the News