The 29th Annual Morongo Charity Golf Tournament October 20-21 raised $150,000 to benefit local youth, Indian families, and tribal cultural protections.
The two-day tournament at Morongo’s 36-hole championship golf course generated $100,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the San Gorgonio Pass, which provides after-school programs, mentorship, and family annually to more than 3,000 local children. The event also raised $25,000 for Walking Shield, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life for American Indian families through housing, health care, and educational services, and $25,000 for the California Indian Law Association, which supports Native law students and advances legal issues important to California tribes.
“Each of the organizations benefiting from this year’s Morongo Charity Golf Tournament is making a meaningful difference — from giving local kids safe places to learn and grow, to providing essential services to Indian families, to ensuring that Tribal voices are heard in the legal system,” Morongo Tribal Vice Chair James Siva, co-chair of the tournament, said in a statement. “Morongo is delighted to help support groups that are uplifting our communities.”
Boys & Girls Clubs of the San Gorgonio Pass Director of Operations Megan Grisham said the tribe’s decades of support for the group has been “transformative for local children and young adults.”
“Morongo’s generosity allows us to expand opportunities for our youth, from academic tutoring to career readiness and leadership programs,” Grisham said. “Because of the Tribe’s commitment, countless young people in the Pass are reaching their full potential. Their support also helps us nurture the whole child by providing supplies, shoes, and clothing when families and youth need it most.”
Launched in 1997, the Morongo Charity Golf Tournament has raised nearly $3 million to support dozens of local nonprofits that serve children, schools, veterans, and hospitals across the region.
“For decades, Walking Shield has worked to improve housing, healthcare access, and educational opportunities for American Indian families,” said Walking Shield Executive Director John Castillo. “This generous gift from Morongo will help us continue delivering critical services that directly improve lives in Native communities.”
The tournament was at Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon, the local home of the Southern California PGA and the longtime host to the annual IOA Championship on the Epson Tour, the official qualifying tour of the LPGA.