Fifty small businesses located within the ancestral territory of Southern California’s San Manuel Indian Tribe – all devastated economically by the COVID-19 pandemic – were each awarded $20,000 by the tribe in an announcement Friday.
The tribe, which is headquartered in the San Bernardino County community of Highland and operator San Manuel Casino, located roughly 60 miles from downtown Los Angeles, said the $1 million in total donations covered selected businesses that represent industries hardest hit by the pandemic.
The donations were announced by the tribe’s San Manuel Cares Small Business Relief Fund in collaboration with the Inland Empire Economic Partnership. The list included restaurants, personal care services, and others deemed “non-essential,” but remain critical to the region’s economic recovery.
San Manuel Tribe’s business committee
San Manuel Chairman Ken Ramirez presented $20,000 to three selected representatives of the fund recipients: Jovi’s Diner in San Bernardino, Mi Cocina, a Mexican restaurant in Highland, and Viva La Boba, a San Bernardino boba, tea, and coffee house. The three owners joined the socially distanced event while other business recipients participated via live stream.
“We all look forward to the day when you can fully reopen your doors for good and welcome your customers back,” Ramirez said. “Until then, you have a hand up from San Manuel to cover expenses and keep your employees on the payroll.”
Despite the pandemic, San Manuel has been active in community donations. In December, the tribe said it would donate $14 million to Claremont Graduate University (CGU) to create a health research center on the campus of the Inland Empire school.
Tribal leaders said the businesses were chosen because of their commitment to their communities on the Tribe’s ancestral lands, spanning the San Bernardino valley, up the San Bernardino Mountains, and outward to the High Desert.
The financial grants will provide the business owners assistance in paycheck protection to fund their current workforce, and cash flow assistance to cover operational expenses, debt relief, and business improvements.
“Our San Manuel Cares team contacted each of these 50 businesses to learn more about their hardships and find the best way to provide assistance,” Ramirez said. “I hope that what we do here today prompts others to do the same; support your local small businesses, give as much as you can, and do your part to keep our communities and economy thriving.”
The San Manuel Tribe is renovating its casino by adding a $550 million expansion to create a full-scale resort that includes a 450-room hotel tower, a 3,000-seat events center, new restaurants, and other non-gaming attractions.
The tribe’s business and government operations employ more than 4,000.
In a statement, San Manuel tribal members said the Mission Indians, since ancient times, expressed themselves through “a culture of giving,” using the term “Yawa,” a Serrano word meaning “to act on one’s beliefs.”
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgaming.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
