Annual giveaway helps kids and their families get a head start on the upcoming school year.

(BANNING, Calif. July 31, 2019) – With the new school year fast approaching, 600 students in need from across the San Gorgonio Pass received new brand-name athletic shoes and new backpacks stuffed with classroom supplies, thanks to a $50,000 donation from the annual Morongo Charity Golf Tournament.

“We’re delighted at Morongo to be helping hundreds of local students and families again this year,” said Morongo’s Tribal Vice Chairman James Siva, who served as the golf tournament’s co-chairman. “The smiles on the kid’s faces today said it all, and we’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to those who made this year’s event possible by supporting the annual Morongo Charity Golf Tournament.”

Kids and parents with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the San Gorgonio Pass met on Tuesday morning at the Club’s Ramsey Street center in Banning to pick up their free brand-name backpacks filled with notebooks, scissors, pencils, pens, erasers, highlighters and other supplies assembled by Morongo, as well as free t-shirts. Hundreds of middle and high school students also received toiletry items such as shampoo, hair conditioner, body wash, deodorant and lotion. 

“Giving back to the community has always been a part of who we are at Morongo, and that will never change,” said Tribal Council Member Brian Lugo, also a co-chairman of the golf tournament. “We are excited to be helping local students by providing them with the tools to succeed in the classroom.”

Many of the students happily sported their new athletic shoes, which they picked up for free a few days earlier as part of the Morongo program.

Seven-year-old Helen Chavira and her 10-year-old brother, Adrian, sported new tie-dye colored backpacks as they described being excited for the new school year to start. “This is very helpful for us, especially when school starts as we don’t always have money for new shoes or school supplies, said their mother, Blanca Chavira of Whitewater. “I’m grateful that (Morongo) is helping the kids.”

Amy Herr, chief executive officer of The Boys & Girls Clubs of the San Gorgonio Pass, said the annual program by Morongo is an important lifeline for many families in need.

“This is always my favorite time of the year when our members get their new backpacks and shoes. For some of them, it’s the first time in their lives that they have had new shoes,” Herr said. “Every year, Morongo steps up to help local students start the school year on the right foot and we truly appreciate the tribe’s continued generosity.”

Parent Anabel Pulido of Banning also expressed appreciation, saying that buying school supplies, backpacks and shoes for her five children adds up quickly, and gets expensive. She especially liked that parents were asked to wait outside when the students selected their backpacks and shoe styles on their own.

Held in June at the beautiful Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon, the Morongo Charity Golf Tournament raised $50,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the San Gorgonio Pass and another $50,000 for The Unforgettables Foundation, which offers care to Inland families following the death of a child, as well as financial assistance to help pay for a dignified and respectful burial.

Since debuting in 1997, the Morongo Charity Golf Tournament has provided nearly $1.5 million to programs serving veterans, children, schools and hospitals. The tournament is one of several annual events sponsored by the Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa and the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, which donate more than $1 million annually to local and regional nonprofit organizations.

Photo Captions:

• Photo 2: Adrian Montes, 10, of Whitewater decides which free backpack to select at Tuesday’s annual Morongo Shoe/Backpack Giveaway at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the San Gorgonio Pass.
• Photo 3: Morongo Tribal Council Member Anne Robinson (left) congratulates Helen Chavira, 7,  and her 10-year-old brother, Adrian Montes, of Whitewater at the annual Morongo Shoe/Backpack Giveaway at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the San Gorgonio Pass.
• Photo 4: Michael Haro, 8,  of Banning reaches for his new backpack at Tuesday’s annual Morongo Shoe/Backpack Giveaway at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the San Gorgonio Pass..

Hundreds of Morongo administration and enterprise employees and their families recently came together at the Morongo Community Center for an Employee Appreciation Carnival and Extravaganza, sponsored by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians.

Inside the community center, attendees danced to tunes from a DJ, feasted on delicious food, and enjoyed mind-bending tricks by a masterful magician. Children and their parents posed for caricaturists and had their faces painted, transforming into everything from tigers to fairies.

“I love being able to bring the kids,” said Mitch Marquez, a tribal descendant who has worked for Morongo for nine years.

The all-day event was truly a family affair, complete with a churro cart, trampoline, and trolley rides. Festivities outside the community center included exciting carnival games and rides, an outdoor rock-climbing wall, and a petting zoo with pigs, rabbits, chickens, and a donkey.

“Our employees are our most valuable asset, and we want to celebrate their ongoing professionalism and dedication to helping our tribe thrive,” said Tribal Chairman Robert Martin. “Our Employee Appreciation Carnival and Extravaganza was one small token of our appreciation to our employees and their families.”

Michelle Harris, who works in community outreach, said she felt Morongo was “honoring and respecting their employees” with the event.

The annual event has provided nearly $1.5 million to non-profits over the past 23 years.

BEAUMONT, Calif. (June 10, 2019) – Hundreds of golfers took to the fairways at the 23^rd Annual Morongo Charity Golf Tournament to raise $100,000 to support local schoolchildren and provide compassionate care to grieving families.

Held on Monday, June 10 at the beautiful Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon, the tournament raised $50,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the San Gorgonio Pass to provide hundreds of local schoolchildren with new Nike shoes and backpacks stuffed with school supplies for the upcoming 2019-20 school year.

The Morongo tournament also raised $50,000 for The Unforgettables Foundation, which offers care and support to Inland families following the death of a child, as well as financial assistance to help pay for a dignified and respectful burial.

“The Boys & Girls Clubs of the San Gorgonio Pass and The Unforgettables both do so much to aid families in need across our region,” said Morongo’s Tribal Vice Chairman James Siva. “Morongo is dedicated to helping these vital community organizations fulfill their mission, and we are grateful to the players and sponsors who helped make our annual charity golf tournament a success again this year.”

Since its launch in 1997, the Morongo Charity Golf Tournament has raised nearly $1.5 million to support dozens of local nonprofits that serve children, schools, veterans and hospitals across the region.

“Giving back to the community has always been important to Morongo, and we feel fortunate to be in a position to help others,” said Tribal Council Member Brian Lugo. “Our annual golf tournament is just one of the many events Morongo conducts every year to assist local families.”

Amy Herr, the chief executive officer of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the San Gorgonio Pass, thanked Morongo for its many years of support, saying “The families we serve truly appreciate the kindness and assistance that Morongo provides to ensure that local students start the new school year with the supplies and confidence they need to succeed.”

Tim Evans, co-founder of The Unforgettables, also thanked the tribe for its longstanding support of the foundation’s work. “Thanks to the generosity of Morongo, families who are suffering are able to take some comfort in knowing that their neighbors and their community care for them and want to help ease their burden when their child has died,” Evans said.

The Morongo Charity Golf Tournament is one of several annual community events conducted by the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa and the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, which donates more than $1 million annually to local and national nonprofit organizations and charities.

About the Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon

Set against a backdrop of breathtaking mountain views, the Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon offers 36 world-class holes, state-of-the-art practice facilities, outstanding amenities and professional, personalized customer service. Ranked among the best courses in Southern California, Tukwet Canyon remains the regional home for the Southern California PGA, and host to the SCPGA Professional Championship. Since 2015, Tukwet Canyon has hosted the Symetra Tour, the official qualifying tour of the LPGA.