Chumash Indians Foundation Receives Recognition

At the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation’s first annual dinner, the Foundation was presented with a Resolution of Recognition from the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors.

“We were honored to receive recognition from the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors for the philanthropic work we do in the community,” said Vincent Armenta, Tribal Chairman of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.

Chairman Armenta said the event, which was held at the tribal-owned Hotel Corque in Solvang, was organized to celebrate the tribe’s lasting legacy of giving and to pay tribute to the many local non-profits in the community.

“Tonight was about sharing our philanthropic philosophy and honoring those organizations that serve as our partners in the community,” said Chairman Armenta. “The guiding principle for our Foundation is based on what our ancestors have passed down through the generations. The tribal members from the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians have always been generous people and we will continue this lasting legacy through the work we do with our Foundation.”

Throughout the evening, representatives from local non-profits were given an opportunity to spin a wheel to raise funds for their organizations. “Since entertainment is our business, we thought it would be fun to offer a unique, on-the-spot fundraising opportunity for representatives in the audience from non-profit organizations,” said Veronica Sandoval, Foundation Administrator. “Organizations had an opportunity to win up to $1,000 by spinning a wheel.”

In addition, the Foundation presented service awards to deserving non-profits in five categories. The Community Enhancement and Environment service award went to the Santa Barbara Zoological Foundation; the Culture and Recreation service award was given to Lompoc Family YMCA; the Education and Personal Development service award went to the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara; the Health & Human Services award went to Family Care Network; and the Native American service award was given to Growing Solutions. Each service award recipient received a certificate and a grant check from the tribe’s Foundation in the amount of $5,000.

Audience members viewed a video, “A Lasting Legacy,” which told the story of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation. Also shown was a short video on People Helping People of Santa Ynez Valley to provide a non-profit perspective on the importance of community involvement.

The Chumash Inter-Tribal singers opened and closed the evening with a Chumash song in Samala, the tribe’s native language.

Over the years, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians has contributed more than $13 million to enhance the local community.