Chumash Charity Golf Classic Raises $150K for Planned Parenthood, Good Samaritan Shelter, Tech Program

Kirsten Cahoon (left), director of Shelter Operations for Good Samaritan Shelter; Gary Pace, Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Business Committee member; and Lindsay Soleimani, VP of Philanthropy for Planned Parenthood California Central Coast | Credit: Courtesy

SANTA YNEZ, CA — December 28, 2022 — The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians has announced that its annual Chumash Charity Golf Classic raised $150,000 this year, with proceeds split evenly among Planned Parenthood California Central Coast, Good Samaritan Shelter in Santa Maria and the tribe’s Technology in Schools Program, which provides grants to help local classrooms address high-tech needs.

The tribe’s annual tournament, which was expanded from two to three days this year, was held in September at the Alisal River Course in Solvang.

“Our golf tournament is an opportunity for our business partners and other tribes from throughout the state to come together and enjoy some golf and camaraderie for a worthy cause,” said Kenneth Kahn, Tribal Chairman for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. “We hope the funds we raised will help Planned Parenthood and the Good Samaritan Shelter continue their valuable work in our community.”

Planned Parenthood California Central Coast, which serves Santa Barbara County, will put the funds toward its ongoing efforts to promote health equity, conduct community outreach and provide sexual and reproductive health care along the Central Coast.

“Serving Native American and indigenous communities is of great importance to us as sexual and reproductive health care providers on the Central Coast,” said Lindsay Soleimani, VP of Philanthropy for Planned Parenthood California Central Coast. “We are so thankful for the support from the Chumash Charity Golf Classic.”

Good Samaritan Shelter is seeking funding for its Safe House program, a 16-bed safe house for female survivors of human trafficking. This is the shelter’s most underfunded program, but one of its most utilized.

“The Good Samaritan Shelter is eternally grateful to the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians for their incredible generosity in making us a beneficiary of their 2022 Chumash Charity Golf Classic,” said Kirsten Cahoon, Director of Shelter Operations for Good Samaritan Shelter. “The outpouring of support from the Chumash Foundation will assist in continuing the operations of the Safe House program and be a part of saving the lives of women throughout our community. This is a step in the direction of ending human trafficking in our community.”

In 2015, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation created the Technology in Schools Program to fulfill the technological needs of classrooms in Santa Barbara County. School administrators and faculty can apply for technology grant dollars to purchase hardware or upgrade infrastructure.

Grant recipients for the 2022-23 school year included Delta High School in Santa Maria, College School District in Santa Ynez, Cuyama Elementary School, Santa Ynez Valley Union High School and Ballard Elementary School in the Santa Ynez Valley.

The deadline to apply for the 2023-2024 school year is April 30, 2023. To submit a Technology in Schools Program grant application, please visit https://www.santaynezchumash.org/foundation.

Since its inaugural event in 2005, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians’ annual golf tournament has raised more than $1.8 million for local charities and nonprofits. Past beneficiaries include the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation, Dream Foundation, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Santa Barbara County, Lompoc Family YMCA, Unity Shoppe and local schools and museums.

The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians has donated more than $25 million to hundreds of groups, organizations and schools in the community and across the nation as part of the tribe’s long-standing tradition of giving.