Page 14 - June 2012 • Southern California Gaming Guide

June 2012 Tribes in the News
BIarona & Sycuan Tribes Approve $1.5 Million for San Diego Communities
n mid-May, the Barona Band of Mission Indians and Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Chairman of the Barona Band of Mission Indians. “And, with so many government Nation, along with other representatives from the Indian Gaming Local Community budget cuts in these critical needs areas, we really wanted to allocate the grants where Benefit Committee, announced local recipients of more than $1.5 million in grants they are needed the most right now.”
from Tribal money paid into the State Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund. e committee assessed grant applications from throughout San Diego County, and selected several local communities and public safety projects to fund. e following San Diego County departments and organizations will receive part of the $1.5 million: Child Welfare Services, Department of Parks and Recreation, Department of Public Works, San Diego Sheri ’s O ce, Lakeside Fire Department, Ramona Fire Department, El Cajon Fire Department, and Sharp Grossmont Hospital.
“ e Barona Band of Mission Indians is proud to share a substantial portion of this year’s funds with public safety and healthcare service agencies that protect and serve us in what are often very dangerous conditions,” said Edwin “ orpe” Romero, Tribal
TRiverside County Communities Receive a Jackpot of Donations
April 2012 a month for giving back to the community. Team members at both casinos took part in the American Red Cross “Champion’s Challenge,” raising a total of
$10,812 for the Red Cross Riverside County chapter. e employee fundraisers included a car wash, a baby pictures-guessing contest, a company “boutique,” and
Robin Stone, Executive Director of Human Resources for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, which owns and operates both casinos, said the events were a terri c morale boost. “ We had such a great time setting up all these events, working together for a common cause. It instilled great camaraderie
following to local charities and schools in the month of April: 67 spiral cut hams to homeless shelter, Martha’s Village and Kitchen; 66 spiral cut hams to homeless shelter, Well of the Desert; 96 teddy bears to domestic violence center, Shelter from the Storm; and o ce
supplies to Palm Springs High School.
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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
JUNE 2012
“Sycuan is proud to be a part of funding bene cial community projects that will enhance road safety, law enforcement, and child welfare services,” said Sycuan Chairman Daniel Tucker.“It is an honor to give back to the people of San Diego.”
e Special Distribution Fund was created after California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 1A, an amendment to the California constitution which authorized the State to enter into compacts with Indian Tribes for limited forms of gaming, in March of 2000. e compacts require Tribes, which were engaged in gaming in 1999, to pay into the Special Distribution Fund. During the compact negotiations, Barona and Sycuan worked together to ensure that a portion of the money the Tribes pay into the fund would be used to directly bene t San Diego County.
eam members at Agua Caliente Casino Resort a “wear jeans” for charity option, which allowed team amongst the team members, while giving back to our Spa in Rancho Mirage and sister property, Spa members to pay $5 a day to trade work clothes for blue community.”
Resort Casino in downtown Palm Springs, made jeans. Not a surprise, the jeans option was very popular! Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa also donated the