Cherokee Nation donates $195,000 to area Boys & Girls Clubs

Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr., Tribal Councilors Mike Shambaugh and Harley Buzzard, and Cherokee National Treasure Tommy Wildcat presented a $15,175.99 check to Boys & Girls Club of Delaware County officials and program participants.

The Cherokee Nation recently donated $195,000 to eight Boys & Girls Club programs throughout northeastern Oklahoma.

Recipients of the funding include clubs in Adair, Cherokee, Delaware, Mayes, Nowata, Rogers, Sequoyah and Washington counties.

Donation amounts are based on the number of Native American students in each program. In total, the eight area programs serve more than 11,000 students, with nearly 60 percent being Native American.

“The Boys & Girls Club organizations of northeast Oklahoma are an invaluable resource to the Cherokee Nation because of their immense benefit to our youth,” Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. “The Cherokee Nation proudly supports the eight clubs in our jurisdiction because they provide mentors and create positive, lifelong influences for Cherokees and non-Cherokees alike. We have an obligation to do everything we can for our youth so they can fully grow into their God-given potential, and the Boys & Girls Club programs help us provide those necessary resources.”

Since 2008, the Cherokee Nation has given more than $2.4 million to help Boys & Girls Club programs in the tribe’s 14-county jurisdiction. The clubs develop character and leadership skills among both Cherokee and non-Cherokee students alike, providing activities for children after school and in the summer.

“An investment in youth and education will always produce positive results for our tribe,” Tribal Council Speaker Joe Byrd said. “The lessons learned by our youth at these Boys & Girls Club organizations will have a lasting impact on our tribe, because these programs are helping develop our future leaders. We are proud to support the clubs and thank them for their service to our youth.”

Delaware County’s program oversees multiple units, with more than 71 percent of the 769 Boys & Girls Club participants being Native American. Unit Director and Program Coordinator Kimberly Dry said the donation helps sustain important programs.

“We are extremely grateful for the tribe’s generosity,” Dry said. “Our diabetes prevention program is one of our strongest programs, and this donation helps buy our healthy snacks for the program.”

In addition to supporting the club’s diabetes prevention program, the donation also helps fund summer field trips and after-school program activities.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of America serves more than 4 million youth in the United States and on military bases across the world.

The Cherokee Nation donated to the following Boys & Girls Clubs:

Boys & Girls Club Organization                 Total Enrollment       Award Amount

Adair County                                                  1,767                           $41,946.22

Bartlesville                                                      794                              $4,632.95

Chelsea                                                            480                              $7,102.01

Delaware County                                            769                              $15,175.99

Green Country                                                446                              $5,243.28

Nowata                                                           1,069                           $17,116.94

Sequoyah County                                           1,544                           $16,035.00

Tahlequah                                                        5,030                           $87,748.61

About Cherokee Nation

The Cherokee Nation is the federally recognized government of the Cherokee people and has inherent sovereign status recognized by treaty and law. The seat of tribal government is the W.W. Keeler Complex near Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the capital of the Cherokee Nation. With 360,000 citizens, 11,000 employees and a variety of tribal enterprises ranging from aerospace and defense contracts to entertainment venues, Cherokee Nation is one of the largest employers in northeastern Oklahoma and the largest tribal nation in the United States.

To learn more, please visit www.cherokee.org.

 

Latest articles

Similar articles