Sycuan Casino Resort presented a total of $175,000 to 25 charities during its 2021 annual holiday gift giving ceremony.
Each December, members of the Sycuan Tribal Council and leadership team individually select a charity to support on behalf of Sycuan. This year's celebration marks Sycuan's 15th holiday gift giving ceremony.
According to tribal officials, over the years the event has supported hundreds of diverse nonprofit organizations, ranging from social and health services to the arts and the environment.
This year’s get together took place on December 9, a welcome renewal after last December’s meeting was shelved by Covid.
Last year, the tribe donated more than $70,000 to 21 charities. In pre-pandemic times, a breakfast was held at the Sycuan Resort to honor the recipients, but the 2020 version had to be modified – donations were hand-delivered by members of the Sycuan team with social distancing, or mailed.
Sycuan released an alphabetical list of all charities that received donations this year: Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's San Diego, American Suicide Prevention Foundation - San Diego, AP 2020 - Cajon Valley School District, Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, BBBS, California Indian Legal Services, Challenged Athletes Foundation, Choice Harvest Worship Center, ElderHelp of San Diego, Frosted Faces Animal Rescue, Gary Sinise Foundation, Islamic Center of San Diego, JDRF San Diego Chapter, Project AWARE Enterprises, San Diego Center for the Blind, San Diego Equality Business Association, San Diego Rise Up, San Diego Young Artists Music Academy, Shelter to Soldier, Skinny Gene Project, Surfrider Foundation San Diego County, The San Diego LGBT Community Center SD, Westsiders Urban Outreach and WillStrong Cancer Foundation.
“We always look forward to this time of year, because it brings an added opportunity to share support from Sycuan with the real difference-makers in our region,” Cody J. Martinez, chairman, Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, said in a statement. “The year’s event is by far the biggest gift giving event we have ever done at Sycuan, and we are honored to donate $175,000 in support of a variety of very important causes. We would like to thank each of these organizations for their dedication to our community and wish them continued success in the new year.”
Sycuan Casino Resort began as a humble Bingo Palace in 1983. Sycuan recently completed a $260m expansion, which includes a 12-story luxury hotel tower with more than 300 guest rooms and 57 suites. Onsite amenities include a variety of restaurants, meeting and event space, a spa, fitness center and an outdoor pool venue with a lazy river and swim-up bar. The resort also boasts a casino floor with more than 2,300 slot machines and 54 table games.
