The Wildhorse Foundation, a community benefit fund established by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) to support organizations in Northeastern Oregon and southeastern Washington, has announced the awards for the fourth quarter of 2015.
A total of $185,391 was awarded to 28 recipients, bringing the total for 2015 to $810,852.
Over 1600 local and regional non-profits have benefited from the funds totaling almost $9.3 million that the Foundation has distributed in their giving area since its inception in 2001.
CTUIR is committed to honoring the tribal traditions of sharing and giving back to the communities in which they live and work. The formation of Wildhorse Foundation in 2001 was for the purpose of formalizing the charitable giving on behalf of Wildhorse Resort & Casino and CTUIR.
The final quarter’s largest grant was given to the Pendleton Fire Department. The group received $11,990 to purchase two Forward Looking Infra-Red Thermal Imaging Cameras. The cameras will allow firefighters to “see” through darkness or smoke to quickly find the seat of a fire or the heat signature of victims. The grant said the devices are credited with saving multiple lives every year. According to the grant application, the Pendleton Fire Department will provide training not only for their firefighters but also to neighboring agencies on the utilization of the tools. The cameras will be made available to all mutual aid companies to borrow when necessary.
Other grant recipients included $7,500 to Agape House in Hermiston for a weekend meal program for elementary school children; and $4,272 to Armand Larive Middle School in Hermiston to purchase math iPods for seventh graders.
The Wildhorse Foundation Board will consider awarding grants to applications that cover the areas of public health and safety, education, the arts, historic preservation, gambling addiction services, salmon restoration, environmental protection, and cultural activities.
The quarterly deadlines for requests are Jan. 1, April 1, July 1 and Oct. 1. For more information on Wildhorse Foundation guidelines or to receive an application, visit the Wildhorse Foundation website.
