Rumsey Band of Wintun Wndians and United Auburn Indian Community donate a combined $1 million to tsunami relief effort
SACRAMENTO, CA – The Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians, owners of Cache
Creek Casino Resort in Yolo County and the United Auburn Indian
Community, owners of Thunder Valley Casino in Placer County donated $1
million today to support both the immediate and long-term relief
efforts in South Asia and East Africa. The contribution from the Tribes
will be split evenly between Save the Children and Habitat for
Humanity, International.
“The Tribe and all of our employees at Cache Creek Casino Resort are
shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of life and the destruction
around the Indian Ocean. Our prayers go out to the people who have lost
so much to this series of disasters,” said Paula Lorenzo, tribal
chairwoman of the Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians. “We are committed to
helping the affected countries in the difficult weeks and months that
lie ahead and hope that in a small way our financial contribution will
allow professional relief organizations to purchase exactly what
disaster victims need most urgently and to pay for the transportation
necessary to distribute those supplies.”
“Helping others in need is deeply rooted in Native American culture and
during this period of immeasurable human suffering we felt compelled to
give aid to those most desperately in need – the thousands of children
and their families that have survived one of history’s worst natural
disasters,” said Jessica Tavares, tribal chairperson of the United
Auburn Indian Community. “Our hearts go out to all of the victims of
this terrible tragedy and we hope that our contribution to Save the
Children will help to immediately provide shelter, food, medical care
and other basic necessities for children and their families in India,
Indonesia and Sri Lanka.”
“Millions of displaced residents throughout Sri Lanka and the
surrounding nations have lost family members, their homes and
livelihoods,” said Lorenzo and Tavares. “As Native Americans, we
understand and sympathize with the victims’ sense of despair and wanted
to contribute to the international humanitarian effort as a means of
providing hope to all those recovering from this horrific natural
disaster. We hope that our gift to Habitat for Humanity, International
will help the organization to both assess the damage and bring
stability to those areas hardest hit by reconstructing
buildings.”
All monetary donations to Save the Children and Habitat for Humanity,
International are to be used for direct services provided to victims.
No money is to be spent on the administrative costs of the
organization’s themselves.
