Tulalips spread their wealth

TULALIP – The Tulalip Tribes handed out checks Friday to several organizations and community groups, such as $5,000 to the Marysville Parks and Recreation Department.

That check will allow the city to provide staff for a free after-school program at Marysville Junior High School that begins in about a month.

“We’re really excited,” city recreation services manager Tara Mizell said.

It’s the 11th year for the program, but this year, the department is partnering with the school district, which plans to open the middle school on Monday evenings for staff to meet with parents. Parks staff will provide homework assistance, games, arts and crafts, pottery and snacks to middle school students while their parents meet with teachers, she said.

“This is going to be wonderful to be able to do some nutritious snacks,” Mizell said.

“I was impressed with the range of organizations that got grants,” she said.

Indeed, the grants ranged from $1,000 to $150,000 and included fire districts, senior programs, American Indian programs, food banks, schools, youth sports programs, law enforcement agencies, ethnic and veteran groups, services for the disabled and advocacy groups.

“It’s a great moment for the tribes to be able to give back,” tribal Chairman Stan Jones Sr. said during the ceremony at the casino.

He then offered a blessing in his native Lashootseed language.

The Tulalips began giving the grants in 1992 when they opened the original Tulalip Casino. At that time, John McCoy, now general manager of Quil Ceda Village, selected the recipients and handed out the checks at his office.

The program has grown so much that it has changed venues four times to accommodate the number of people lining up to receive checks. Since 1992, the Tulalips have handed out more than $18 million, he said. Now, a committee of four people decides which applicants will receive money and how much.

“Each application is a heartbreaker. They do the best they can with the amount of money they have to disperse,” McCoy said.

For this quarter, the Tulalips gave $810,000, selected from nearly $3 million in requests. Qualifying organizations are allowed to apply once each year.

“I really didn’t understand the impact of this money in the community,” said tribal board member Chuck James, who previously served as the casino’s general manager. “It’s just been wonderful seeing how it’s used.”

The grants have helped the tribes strengthen their commitment to being a good neighbor, Tulalip General Manager Linda Jones said.

Reporter Cathy Logg: 425-339-3437 or logg@heraldnet.com.