The donation came from proceeds raised at the Chumash Classic Golf Tournament held in August.

The check was presented at the United Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara County’s Annual Stand up For Kids Auction and Dinner at Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort in Santa Barbara.

“Every day our tribe tries to find organizations to support whose goals and missions are the same as ours. We not only contribute to nonprofits through our foundation, but we do it through a golf tournament that we hold each year,” Vincent Armenta, tribal chairman of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians told dinner attendees. “Our tribe had heard about the struggles and budget restraints the Westside Boys & Girls Club were experiencing, so we decided this year to make them the sole beneficiary of our golf tournament.”

Magda Arroyo, club director, said she couldn’t thank the tribe enough for their generosity and support. “There really are no words to express how grateful we are for this donation.”

The eighth annual Chumash Charity Golf Classic was held on August 16 at the Alisal River Course in Santa Ynez. This year was the first time all proceeds from the tournament went to one organization.

The Westside Boys & Girls Club has faced serious budget concerns and has struggled to keep its doors open for the hundreds of local children it serves daily in a volatile neighborhood associated with gang activity.

The United Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara, which oversees Westside and four other clubs, shared its dire financial woes earlier this year, suggesting cuts to program funding and employee payroll that would devastate the Westside club, which already faces its own budget deficit.

Giving all the proceeds of the golf tournament to the Westside Boys & Girls Club helps the tribe provide a significant contribution to an important community organization, but it also serves as an opportunity to spotlight the hard work of club director Madga Arroyo and the need for a stable and healthy environment in the troubled neighborhood.

Since its inaugural event in 2004, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians’ annual golf tournament has raised more than $650,000 for local charities and nonprofits. Last year, the event raised $90,000, and the tribe split the proceeds among three community organizations.

Through its Foundation, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians has donated more than $16 million to hundreds of groups, organizations and schools in the community and across the nation as part of the Chumash’s long-standing tradition of giving. To find out more about the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation and its giving programs, visit their website.

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