Page 25 - March 2007 • Southern California Gaming Guide

NGood Neighbor Tribes Share with Local Communities
ot long ago, some Southern California Indian tribes were so poor that tribal members were often jobless and on welfare. Today, some of the same Southern California tribes run successful casinos and choose to share generously each year with their communities.
Sharing is a deep-rooted tradition in Native American culture, and the economic prosperity casinos have brought to Southern California Indian tribes has allowed local tribes to share their wealth, giving to a wide variety of charitable causes including local nonpro ts, schools, universities, and in response to national and local needs.
e following are just a few of the highlights of the 2006 Southern California tribal philanthropy.
Barona Band Continues Over a Decade of Community Philanthropy
e Barona Band of Mission Indians subsidized and sponsored local
San Diego community
events throughout
2006, including annual
sponsorship of the Wings Over
Gillespie Air Show each April, and the
Battle of the Badges that bene ts the Community Youth
Athletic Center (CYAC), and the National Latino Peace O cer’s Association. For over seven years, the Barona Band and Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino have contributed over $275,000 to CYAC, a non-pro t organization dedicated to keeping youth o the streets and in school through boxing and mentoring programs.
e Barona Band donated, in honor of the Tribe’s late Vice Chairman Donald “ Tiny” LaChappa, $1 million in his memory to support the expansion of Sharp Grossmont Hospital’s Cardiac and Endovascular Services. And Barona helped create a new running track at El Capitan High School in Lakeside in the autumn of 2006. In April 2006 the Barona Band began the Barona Education Grant Program which provides grants of $5,000 to schools to
“fund materials that promote academic improvement.” Since then, education grants have been awarded to more than 18 schools across California, totaling over $90,000. e Barona Band of Mission Indians owns Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino in San Diego County.
San Manuel Band of Mission Indians Gives Millions to Education
In February 2006 the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians gave $3,000,000 for a state-of-the-art athletic facility for San Gorgonio High School in San Bernardino. e project has an expected completion in mid 2007. e full scope of the gift includes an all-weather track and eld, auxiliary buildings that will house locker rooms, snack bars for home and visiting teams, training room for the student athletes, ticket sales, stadium lights and bleachers with press box. e San Manuel Band of Mission Indians shares a commitment to quality education like other local governments and has provided nancial contributions and
sponsorships to UCLA, California State San Bernardino and a host of local schools over the years. e San Manuel Band of Mission Indians own and operate San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino in Highland, near San Bernardino, California.
Agua Caliente Band Annual Donation Event Nets Millions for the Coachella Valley
e Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians gave away $1.2 million to more than 90 government and charitable organizations in the Coachella Valley on April 10, 2006. It was the 12th year the Tribe had celebrated local charities with an annual giveaway of more than $1 million. e 2006 donations went to groups
in Desert Hot Springs, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, ousand Palms, Rancho Mirage and Cathedral City.
e Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians owns and operates Agua Caliente Casino in Ranch Mirage and Spa Resort Casino in Palm Springs.
Rincon Band of Mission Indians Shares with
San Diego County
Harrah’s Rincon Casino & Resort presented a $20,000 check to e Angel’s Depot, a San Diego North County charity that provides food and services for senior citizens living in poverty. Harrah’s Rincon, together with the Rincon San Luiseño Band of Mission Indians and the Harrah’s Foundation, are founding sponsors of
e Angel’s Depot. And for the second year in a row, U.S. Marines enjoyed anksgiving “Operation Turkey” at Harrah’s Rincon. e casino hosted 150 Marines from Camp Pendleton for a complete anksgiving dinner with all the trimmings. e Rincon Band owns Harrah’s Rincon Casino and Resort,
located on the tribe’s reservation in Valley Center.
Pechanga Tribe Supports Local
Schools and Library
From candy sales to car washes, high
school fund-raisers help bridge the gap
between shrinking budgets and the rising
costs of quality education. In 2006, in an
e ort to enrich the educational experiences of
local high school students, the tribal leaders and the management of Pechanga Resort & Casino committed to making a yearly donation of $50,000 to each of the high schools in the Temecula Valley. is contribution is expected to o set the costs associated with academics, extracurricular activities, athletics and scholarship programs. Eight local high schools each received a $50,000 check during a special luncheon on May 24, 2006 at Pechanga.
A $65,000 donation from the Pechanga Resort and Casino allowed Murietta residents to view historical artifacts stored at the new Murrieta Library. e gift, announced on July 18th, 2006 paid for several oor-to- ceiling glass cases in a section of the library dedicated to Murrieta’s historical archives called the Heritage Room. e library is slated to open soon in 2007. is was the tribe’s rst donation to the Murrieta Library, although Pechanga was a major local benefactor, contributing more than $130,000 to city organizations. e Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians owns and operates Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula.
Tribes Rallied to Aid Esperanza Fire Victims
Southern California gaming tribes provided shelter, clothing, cash and re ghting personnel to help victims of the Esperanza Fire in the fall of 2006. e Esperanza Fire left ve re ghters dead and dozens homeless and a ected many. e Morongo Band of Mission Indians delivered hot meals to families staying at the American Red Cross shelter in Beaumont. e Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians opened part of its reservation near San Jacinto as a comfort station for rescuers and re ghters, where more than 1,000 re ghters received meals in rest areas. And in late October the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians announced a contribution of $50,000 to aid the families of the re ghters who lost their lives. e Tribe also dispatched a re engine from the Pechanga Fire Department as part of a structure protection strike team. e Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians donated $100,000 to the families of re ghters who lost their lives. And the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation gave $50,000 to the fund established to assist the families of the fallen re ghters. e Sycuan Fire Department also sent both personnel and equipment to Riverside County to battle the re.
Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation Gives to San Diego County Charities
On October 12th, 2006 more than 300 golfers gathered
at Sycuan Resort in support of Sycuan’s 16th Annual Charity Golf Tournament. e 2006 bene ciary was the Challenge Center located in La Mesa, California. e Challenge Center o ers a wide array of services focused on improving health, function and quality of life for those living with
severe physical disabilities.
While the Sycuan Band thrives on
giving to others all year long, the holiday season kicks o a special program at the Sycuan Resort & Casino that allows employees
to honor local charities and organizations of their choice. 2006’s charitable giving program earmarked more than $120,000 for more than 25 local organizations. Some of 2006’s recipients included the Alpha Project, San Diego Police O cers Association, Kid’s Turn San Diego, Mama’s Kitchen, Challenged Athlete Association, and Ronald McDonald House Charities. e Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation owns and operates Sycuan Resort & Casino in San Diego County.
March 2007
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
Page 25