December 2017 Indian Gaming 69

Buffalo Thunder’s Food Drive Provides35,000 Meals to Area Hungry

Approximately fifteen tonsof food recently nourished thebodies and minds of hungryNew Mexicans. That was thefall 2017 goal set by BuffaloThunder Resort and Casinoduring their annual Coins forCans food drive benefiting TheFood Depot, according toChristine Gabaldon, Directorof Marketing. That's the equiv-alent of providing 35,000 mealsfor those in need.

Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino has a long history withThe Food Depot in support of its mission to hunger in North-ern New Mexico. "We recognize the need in our own commu-nity," Gabaldon said. "And as a company, we're in a unique posi-tion to do something about it. We ask that our own guests andgamers get involved by bringing in cans of food, and in doingso, they earn slot play here Buffalo Thunder."

But what does hunger look like in New Mexico? And whyis the need so prevalent? Those are questions many people ask,and Jill Dixon, Development Director for The Food Depot pro-vides insight. "Hunger is often hidden, but it affects one in everyfive people in our state. One in three of those are children,"Dixon said. "It's a growing concern." In fact, Dixon said, 52%of those served by The Food Depot are working adults. Of theremaining 48% served, approximately 80% are caregivers tofamily members or loved ones who cannot care for them-selves. "That's why we count on the support of Buffalo Thun-der to help us make a difference," Dixon adds. "They are oneof the most engaged, present and proactive donors that we havehad the privilege to partner with. They feel very rooted in thecommunity, and recognize how our community suffers. Thisis an organization that is utterly philanthropic and have astrong commitment to making life better."

A simple food drive, Dixon said, has grown into an exten-sive partnership over the years, offering food, financial supportand countless volunteers. "We feel so fortunate, and we see everyday how the community benefits because of their involve-ment," Dixon said.

Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel EmployeesHold Food Drive for the Holidays

Employees at Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel recently pre-sented a donation to the Emergency Aid Center, for United Wayof South Louisiana. The center is always in need, however,with the holidays arriving, families in West St. Mary Parish willexperience greater need when the children are out of school.Employees came together to donate non-perishable items to helprelieve the strain on the EAC’s resources. The mission of the EAC

is to provide assistance tofamilies in West St. Maryexperiencing harsh circum-stances such as unemploy-ment, loss of hours, illness,death of the primary wageearner, fire, flood, and othernatural disasters.

“With the children outof school, the current econ-omy, and various other circumstances we see anincrease in need for localfamilies,” said Director PattiIbert at Emergency AidCenter. “We are lucky tohave such a passionate community to help those inneed,” Ibert continued. Thecenter is the only food bankin West St. Mary Parish.

“Our employees come together a few times a year to make adonation to the Emergency Aid Center,” Linda Nezey, Managerof Human Resources at Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel. “Contributions to the EAC has become somewhat of a traditionat Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel and we could not be moreproud of our employees for their commitment to help those inneed,” continued Nezey.

Firekeepers Increases Annual TurkeyDonation for Local Communities

FireKeepers Casino Hotel recently announced that a donation of 2,500 turkeys was made to five area food banks, aswell as The Kendall Street Pantry in Battle Creek, MI, continuing a successful campaign to help those less fortunateenjoy a traditional meal this holiday season.

For the eighth consecutive year, FireKeepers Casino Hotelhas generously provided turkeys to five area food banks priorto the start of the holiday season; this year, the company raisedthe bar by providing an additional 1,500 turkeys for the Battle Creek area, bringing the total number of turkeys donatedto 2,500. Since opening, FireKeepers Casino Hotel has madeit a point to contribute to local area food banks, and many community organizations not only during the holiday season,but throughout the year. This also includes distributions to theFireKeepers Local Revenue Sharing Board (FLRSB), distrib-utions to the state of Michigan, as well as focusing business operations on local spending.

“[During] the holiday season, we extend our level of care ata time of great need in our surrounding communities,” statedKathy George, FireKeepers CEO. “The food banks we havepartnered with do a tremendous job year-round and we arehappy to help provide holiday meals for families in need.”

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Patti Ibert, Director, is all smiles after themost recent donation by CypressBayou Casino Hotel’s employees to theEmergency Aid Center in Franklin, LA.

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The Food Bank of South Central Michigan, located in Battle Creek, Mich. received 1,200 turkeys to assist the localcommunity in an impactful way. Four regional locations wereselected for a donation of 200 turkeys each: Food Gathererslocated in Ann Arbor, MI; Feeding America West MichiganFood Bank located in Comstock Park, MI; Community Har-vest Food Bank located in Fort Wayne, IN; Food Bank of East-ern Michigan located in Flint, MI. The Kendall Street Pantrywill receive a donation of 500 to prepare for donations during the Christmas period. This pantry is part of the Fire HubRestaurant, which was built and operated by a non-profit division of Firekeepers Casino Hotel and from which the bulkof profits are contributed annually to local charities.

Augustine Casino Food and Toy DriveAims to Brighten the Holidays for LocalFamilies in Need

With the holiday season underway, Augustine Casino haskicked off its Annual Food and Toy Drive, which will benefit aCoachella Valley charity dedicated to helping locals in need –TheGalilee Center.

“We’re excited to continue the Augustine tradition of partnering with local nonprofit organizations like The GalileeCenter during the holidays,” said Jef Bauer, General Managerof Augustine Casino. “Our annual holiday drives are in their 10thyear and we look forward to participating with the local community to show what we can do when we work together.”

When five or more food items are donated, casino patronsmay receive $5 in Free Slot Play each week. These donationswill help feed disadvantaged families in the east Coachella Valley, CA during the holiday season.

Augustine Casino’s charity beneficiary, The Galilee Center,works with the needy in the valley’s local communities year-round – but particularly during the holiday season. The Galilee Center will provide 700 turkeys and food boxes to local families. “Our mission is to fulfill the needs of the underprivi-leged and disadvantaged by providing food, clothing, and otherbasic needs while affirming their dignity with love, compassion,and respect,” said Gloria Gomez, Founder of Galilee Center.“Augustine Casino embraces and supports our mission, and isso very instrumental in assisting us in our efforts to help others.”

Lake of the Torches Presents Board with$2,000 to Foster Economic Developmentin Vilas County, WI

Lake of the Torches Resort Casino recently presented theVilas County Economic Development Corporation with a$2,000 donation check to assist in sustaining robust businessdevelopment throughout Vilas County. The donation will beused by the VCEDC in its ongoing efforts to provide financial and technical assistance to new and expanding business enterprises in Vilas County.

“Lake of the Torches has been a longtime supporter of the

Vilas County Economic Development Corporation. We sincerely appreciate their continuing commitment to theVCEDC and as we work to help ensure economic growth and development of a robust workforce in Wisconsin’s North-woods,” said Carl Rudebusch, Chairman of the VCEDC.

The VCEDC is a public-private partnership that offersmentoring and investor assistance to individuals who are look-ing to begin a business venture in Vilas County. The VCEDCassists new business start-ups through two business incubatorsin Eagle River and Manitowish Waters and an acceleratorbuilding in Phelps. These facilities offer commercial and indus-trial space for businesses at a nominal rate, and VCEDC members offer their wide variety of business expertise to thesenew owners to successfully grow their business.

The VCEDC also coordinates the Nicolet EntrepreneurTraining (NET) at Nicolet College, which gives new businessesowners a solid background in starting and running a business.In addition, the VCEDC supports telecommunications companies who provide increased broadband access to all partsof Vilas County. Making these areas accessible to broadbandis crucial to these businesses in an increasingly dynamic andinterconnected economy.

“Lake of the Torches is very proud of its partnership with the VCEDC in our joint efforts to promote a vibrantNorthwoods economy that provides abundant entrepre-neurial opportunities for residents and those wishing to relocate to Vilas County,” said Lake of the Torches’ Directorof Marketing Leana Schlecht.

Morongo’s Turkey Giveaway Provides200,000 Thanksgiving Dinners

The Morongo Band of Mission Indians distributed 10,000free turkeys for Thanksgiving that were used to provide morethan 200,000 Thanksgiving meals to families, seniors and veterans in need across Southern California.

Now in its 32nd year, Morongo’s annual Thanksgiving Outreach program has given away more than 120,000 turkeys –

L-R: Leana Schlecht, Director of Marketing at Lake of the Torches ResortCasino; Carl Ruedebusch, Chairman of the VCEDC; Mary Cole Laub,VCEDC Board Member; Bill Guelcher, Chief Executive Officer at Lake ofthe Torches Resort Casino, and Duane Chapman, Assistant GeneralManager at Lake of the Torches Resort Casino.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

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enough to provide more than 2 million holiday meals. “At Morongo, we have always strived to help others, even as

our own tribe struggled to survive,” said Morongo Tribal Chairman Robert Martin. “Giving is a part of who we are, andwe feel fortunate to be able to help others in need this holidayseason.”

Dozens of tribal members and volunteers gathered at theMorongo Community Center to help distribute the Thanks-giving turkeys to 102 nonprofit organizations, churches, foodpantries, schools, veteran groups and homeless shelters from acrossSouthern California. Groups receiving turkeys hailed from Banning, Beaumont, Riverside, San Bernardino, Lake Elsinore,Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indio, Mecca, Los Angeles, andother communities.

Non-profit groups receiving turkeys ranged the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission in Indio to The Los Angeles Rescue Mission, Carol’s Kitchen, Martha’s Village, the Rock Church in San Bernardino, Hope Food Bank in San Jacinto, and numerous veterans groups and churches.

“Thanks again to Morongo’s immense generosity, our organization is able to provide hot meals, hope and holidaycheer to thousands in need across the Coachella Valley,” said Darla Burkett, Executive Director of the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission, which received 400 turkeys from the tribe.

Alexandra Tompkins, co-founder of Carol's Kitchen in Banning agreed, saying, “We're incredibly grateful to the MorongoBand of Mission Indians. The free turkeys we received fromMorongo allowed us to serve hundreds of traditional, nutritiousmeals to families in need during Thanksgiving week.”

Hundreds of veterans and military families are benefitting fromthe tribe’s Thanksgiving Outreach program which providedmore than 350 turkeys this year to local chapters of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and other military support groups.

“Thanks to Morongo, 160 needy families in Riverside whowould have otherwise gone without Thanksgiving dinner had theopportunity to enjoy a holiday meal with loved ones,” said LarryGray, President of the Uptown Kiwanis Club of Riverside.

The club works with four Riverside elementary schools – Highgrove, Liberty, Magnolia and Mountain View – identifyingfamilies in need to receive the turkeys, which were added to foodbaskets with all the trimmings.

The Los Angeles Mission received 300 birds to help feed thehomeless this holiday. Herb Smith, President of the Los Angeles Mission, said the donations helped feed those on SkidRow in Los Angeles. “Every year, we can always count on theMorongo Band of Mission Indians to bless the poor and home-less men, women and children we serve,” Smith said. “We are honored to be partnering with Morongo once again to providefood and care this Thanksgiving.”

Pala Donates 7,549 Pounds of Food to TwoLocal Charities

The team members of Pala Casino Spa & Resort recentlydonated 7,549 lbs. of food to Brother Benno’s, the non-profit,volunteer organization that serves the poor and homeless inNorthern San Diego County, and to the Senior Citizens Service Center in Murrieta, CA.

“As our team members have done for so many communityprojects, they really came through again to help those in needthis holiday season,” said Bill Bembenek, Pala’s Chief Executive.

Minnesota Super Bowl Host CommitteeLegacy Fund Awards Prairie Island IndianCommunity With a Grant to Build a NewPlayspace in Upper Island at Dakota Circle

The Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee (MNSBHC)Legacy Fund recently awarded a $100,000 grant to the PrairieIsland Indian Community (PIIC) to help create a culturally-relevant recreation space and establish one of the first commu-nity gathering areas in a neighborhood a few miles from themain reservation. The PIIC is working closely with languageand culture experts to incorporate Dakota words and picturesignage into the space’s design and theme, which will be builtin the Upper Island at Dakota Circle.

The grant is part of the Super Bowl Legacy Grant Program,which is made possible each year by a $1 million contributioncourtesy of the NFL Foundation and is complemented by the

Hundreds of turkeys bound for the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission areloaded onto a truck for delivery.

Pala team members from L-R, front row: Graciela Trevino, GracielaLupercio, Claudette Tomlinson Graham, Mina Ganjen; back row: Allen To,Jamie Gardner, Robert O’Brien and Juan Nino Cruz.

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Super Bowl Host Committee. Through its 52 Weeks of Giving campaign, the MNSBHC has launched a yearlongeffort to make Super Bowl LII a statewide event by awarding52 communities with grants that will help improve the healthand wellness of young people in Minnesota.

The playground and gathering area will be convenientlylocated near the homes of the kids and young people who residein the community. Many families in the Upper Island area liveabout five miles from the heart of the reservation, making itdifficult to regularly visit its main community center, fitness center and playground.

“We are thankful to the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee Legacy Fund for this important grant,” said Shelley Buck, President of the Prairie Island Indian Commu-nity Tribal Council. “These funds will enable us to establish asafe recreational destination for the young people of the UpperIsland community. We are committed to providing resourcesto our children that help them lead more active lives. TheDakota-themed playground is a crucial investment in helpingto share healthier futures for our kids.”

The play space will be built with high-quality equipment anda pour-in-place, sustainable rubber surfacing that lasts longerthan alternative materials. The playground and recreationequipment will be built and installed in the spring of next year.

Tribal council leadership, community members and childrenof the Prairie Island Indian Community gathered with Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee Legacy Fund members at a special dedication event today that includedsong and football games and activities for local young people.

Sky Ute Casino Resort Raises Over $11,800to Fight Cancer

Thanks to the generosity of Sky Ute Casino Resort guests andTeam Members, the Sky Ute “Share Your Spare Change” campaign raised an astounding $11,892.40, to help fight cancerand help families in need in the region. The funds were raisedfor the benefit of two local charities. Representatives from thelocal Cancer Coalition of South West Colorado, and the

Cancer Resource Center were on hand to receive the donation.The casino floor was awash in pink, complete with pink light-

ing and décor, during the October “Share your Spare Change”and “Fight 4 a Cure” campaign. Team members added to thelively Pink atmosphere by wearing their Sky Ute Casino,“Think Pink” t- shirts; generating even more excitement andenthusiasm for the cause. For this campaign, unredeemed ordonated slot tickets and cash were deposited in specially markedcollections bins throughout the property. Those tickets and dollars, combined with the coins that had been tossed into thecasino’s fountain and donations from Team Members added upto the over-the-the top total.

Casino General Manager Krista Red-Garcia was so pleasedto announce the final donation amount of $11,892.40. She said,“We are so grateful for our generous guests and team members for their support, donations and encouragement inthis campaign to fight cancer, to help those most afflicted andwho are in need. Cancer has touched so many lives, whetherin our own families or with our friends. It is so gratifying tosee first-hand the commitment of our Sky Ute guests andTeam Members to take our Think Pink campaign as high asit did. Now we really have set the bar high for next year!”

The, “Share Your Spare Change” campaign is part of agreater community effort by Sky Ute to contribute to those inneed. Sky Ute team members recently rallied together to sendtruckloads of donations to Texas in order to aid those affectedby Hurricane Harvey.

The National Center Awarded $75,000Grant from the UPS Foundation

The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (The National Center) was recently awarded a$75,000 grant from the UPS Foundation. The National Center will use the grant to further develop and promote theNative Edge portal – the organization’s innovative online platform that connects Native job seekers with employers and

Tribal Council members along with children from the Prairie Island IndianCommunity accept a check from the Minnesota Super Bowl HostCommittee Legacy Fund.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

L-R: Krista Red-Garcia, General Manager, Sky Ute Casino Resort; CarolMcGuire & BJ Boucher, Representatives of the Cancer Coalition ofSouthwest Colorado; and Annie McGraw, Team Member Relations, SkyUte Casino Resort.

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provides interactive educational business content to its users.The UPS Foundation drives global corporate citizenship andphilanthropic programs for UPS.

“The National Center is honored to have the support of The UPS Foundation as we further develop the Native Edgeportal,” said Chris James, National Center President andCEO. “UPS and The UPS Foundation have been tremendouspartners with our organization through the years and haveshown incredible corporate leadership. We look forward to continuing this partnership as we work to provide yet anothervaluable tool to Native American businesses and entrepreneurs.”

The Native Edge portal is an online community designedto be a one-stop-shop for doing business in Indian Country.It has four distinct components:

The Hire Edge, which helps Native American businessowners find employees, and job seekers to find potential employers. It also helps Corporate Diversity Recruiters exceedtheir diversity goals by matching them with Native Americanworkforce.

The Native to Native (N2N) Edge community allows businesses and entrepreneurs to network with each other andinitiate new relationships.

The Training Edge,which provides business owners and theiremployees with interactive tools and training sessions to helpin their professional development.

The Procurement Edge, which is a database for both federaland corporate procurement opportunities, and also allows forNative-owned businesses to partner and team with each other.

Established in 1951 and based in Atlanta, GA, The UPSFoundation identifies specific areas where its backing clearlyimpacts social issues. In support of this strategic approach, The UPS Foundation has identified the following focus areasfor giving: volunteerism, diversity, community safety and theenvironment. In 2016, UPS and its active and retired employeesinvested more than $116.6 million in charitable giving aroundthe world. "The UPS Foundation is honored to support theNational Center for American Indian Enterprise Development’smission to increase economic development and entrepreneur-ship in Native American and Alaska Native communities,” saidEduardo Martinez, President of The UPS Foundation andChief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at UPS. “Our goal is tofund powerful programs that make a lasting difference to theglobal community."

Tachi Palace Community Breakfast Benefits Toys for Tots

Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino recently hosted its November community breakfast where Tachi Palace GeneralManager Willie Barrios presented a $5,000 check to U.S. MarineStaff Sargent Carrington for Toys for Tots, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping less fortunate children through-out the United States experience the joy of Christmas.

More than 360 people attended and a total of $1,975 was raised

at the door of the break-fast, and Tachi PalaceHotel & Casino and theSanta Rosa RancheriaTribe matched androunded the amount upfor a total of $5,000. Inaddition 50 new toysalso were donated to theToys for Tots program.

“This is the season ofgiving and we can’t thinkof a more appropriateorganization to benefitfrom the Novembercommunity breakfastthan Toys for Tots,” saidBarrios. “To ensure thatevery child has a newtoy for Christmas is priceless. We thank all the communitymembers for joining us in our support of this amazing organization.”

St. Croix Casinos Donate $11,250 to AreaChristmas Charities

St. Croix Casinos recently played Santa as volunteers from15 Christmas charities in Barron, Burnett, Dunn, Polk, Sawyer,St. Croix and Washburn counties (WI) were honored at an invitation-only banquet at St. Croix Casino Turtle Lake. At thebanquet, volunteers were treated to a buffet meal and were giventhe chance to choose a mystery Christmas card for up to$1,500 in cash. Awards given at the banquet totaled $11,250.

St. Croix Casinos Director of Marketing ShauretteSchoonover welcomed the volunteers with opening remarks.“St. Croix Casinos takes pride in having done an annual toy drivesince 1993,” she said. “This year we decided to do somethingdifferent. We wanted to thank the volunteers who work veryhard to bring Christmas to area families. This is your night.Thank you for coming.”

Awards given at the banquet were as follows: Brian’s Heart,Centuria, WI, $750; Chetek Community Club, Chetek, WI,$750; Clayton Gifts for Children, Clayton, WI, $500; Christmas for Children, Clear Lake, WI, $500; Grace Place(Salvation Army), New Richmond, WI, $500; IndianheadCommunity Action Agency, Webster, WI, $750; Margaret’sProject Santa, Cumberland, WI, $750; Polk County Operation Christmas, St. Croix Falls, WI, $1,500; OperationSanta, Rice Lake, WI, $500; Prairie Farm Lions, Prairie Farm,WI, $750; Spooner Community Christmas Drive, Spooner, WI,$1,000; Stone Lake Emergency Fund, Hayward, WI, $1,000;Turtle Lake School S.O.S., Turtle Lake, WI, $1,000; Washburn County Food Pantry, Spooner, WI, $750 and WestCAP, Glenwood City, WI, $500. ®