Adam Weintraub - Staff writer
Two Indian tribes that own casinos in Greater Sacramento have combined
to donate $1 million to charities for tsunami relief efforts in south
Asia and east Africa, joining the growing numbers of contributions from
the region.
The Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians, which owns Cache Creek Casino Resort
in Yolo County, and the United Auburn Indian Community, owner of
Thunder Valley Casino in Placer County near Lincoln, made the
contribution on Thursday. It will be split equally between two
charitable organizations: Save The Children and Habitat For Humanity
International.
Both tribes saw their financial fortunes change with the opening of
major casinos, and have launched efforts to share some of their bounty
through charitable giving in the communities around their new or
expanding and highly profitable businesses.
"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," said
Rumsey Band tribal chairwoman Paula Lorenzo in a prepared
statement.
"Helping others in need is deeply rooted in Native American culture,"
and those affected by the late-December disaster caused by an undersea
earthquake are in desperate need of help, said Jessica Tavares,
chairperson for the United Auburn tribe. "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."
The Habitat For Humanity donation is intended to help restore stability
to the hardest-hit regions by replacing buildings destroyed when the
massive ocean wave sloshed ashore.
The contribution is among the largest publicly disclosed in the
Sacramento area, but the tribes are far from alone. KCRA Channel 3
hosted a tsunami-relief telethon this week that raised more than $1
million, including a $100,000 pledge from the family of Sacramento
developer Angelo Tsakopoulos. Other local companies and those with a
strong local presence, from restaurants to giant tech manufacturers to
grocery chains, are making donations or coordinating collections from
their customers.
West Sacramento-based Raley's Inc. said Thursday that it would collect
cash donations from customers at Raley's, Nob Hill and Bel Air stores
for tsunami relief, with proceeds in January contributed to the Red
Cross.
