Westside Boys and Girls Club Gets Chumash Donation
By NORA K. WALLACE, NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
September 25, 2012 2:04 AM
The Westside Boys and Girls Club —struggling with budget
issues —got a major financial boost last weekend from the
Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.
The club, managed by the United Boys and Girls Club of Santa
Barbara, received a $100,000 donation from the proceeds of
the tribe's annual Chumash Classic Golf Tournament held in
August.
According to a Chumash press release, the United Boys and
Girls Club, which also manages 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."
The West Anapamu Street club offers after-school programs,
as well as career development advice, community service
options, gang prevention education, music appreciation,
nutrition and cooking, character and maturity guidance, sports
and recreation and summer camping opportunities.
Tribal chairman Vincent Armenta presented the check at the
club's annual "Stand Up for Kids Auction and Dinner" at Fess
Parker's Doubletree Resort in Santa Barbara.
The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians donated
$100,000 to the Westside Boys and Girls Club last
week.
COURTESY PHOTO
"Every day our tribe tries to find organizations to support
whose goals and missions are the same as ours," Mr. Armenta
said in a statement. "We not only contribute to nonprofits
through our foundation, but we do it through a golf tournament that we hold each year. Our tribe had heard
about the struggles and budget restraints the Westside Boys and Girls Club was experiencing, so we decided
this year to make them the sole beneficiary of our golf tournament."
Club director Magda Arroyo was thrilled with the tribe's support.
"There really are no words to express how grateful we are for this donation," said Ms. Arroyo, a Santa
Barbara native who has directed the club since 2009 and also serves as director of development.
The Chumash golf tournament took place Aug. 16 at the Alisal River Course in Santa Ynez. It is the first time
in the eight-year history of the tournament that all the proceeds were directed to one organization.
Last year, the approximately $90,000 raised was donated to Friends of the Library of Santa Ynez Valley,
Solvang Senior Center and the Buellton Senior Center. In 2010, the $113,000 raised was given to the United
Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County and the Stuart C. Gildred Family YMCA.
Since its inaugural year, the tournament has raised some $650,000 for local charities and nonprofits.
According to the tribe, its Chumash Foundation 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."
email: nwallace@newspress.com