260 Volunteers Participate in 2010 Cherokee Day of Caring

CHEROKEE, June 7, 2010—Cherokee Preservation Foundation, the Office of the Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), and Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Hotel announced today that 260 community volunteers participated in the 2010 Cherokee Day of Caring, an annual event begun in 2005 that builds on the gadugi tradition of community service. 

Volunteers helped ten neighbors selected by their communities for assistance and pitched in to help with painting, yard clean-up, gardening, and fix-it projects.  The volunteers received significant support from the EBCI Facilities Department, the EBCI Housing and Community Development Division and Turner Construction Company, which helped assess needs, compiled lists of the materials needed, and supplied project leaders. The all-day community service event took place on May 20 within the ten communities of the EBCI.

A highlight of the Cherokee Day of Caring is the honoring of Quiet Heroes who have served their communities unselfishly, as well as a Good Neighbor who does not live in one of the EBCI communities, but has significantly helped members of the Tribe. This year, eight communities chose Quiet Heroes:

Big Cove - Samuel "Snake" Panther
Big Y - Nancy Long
Cherokee County - Herman Green
Painttown - Travis Climbingbear
Snowbird - Louise Reed
Tow String - Dewey Cochran
Wolftown - Ernest "Bud" Sneed
Yellowhill - Don Smiley

Mark Jones, who manages the KOA Kampground in Cherokee, received the 2010 Good Neighbor Award.

About the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) is one of the three federally recognized Cherokee tribes and the only one east of the Mississippi River. There are approximately 13,000 EBCI members, many of whom live on the Qualla Boundary.  The Principal Chief is Michell Hicks.

About Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Hotel
Harrah's Cherokee is an enterprise of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and managed by Harrah's Entertainment Inc. Located one mile from the downtown area of Cherokee, the facility features a gaming area, a hotel, a conference center and restaurants.  Harrah’s Cherokee is one of the largest employers in North Carolina west of Charlotte.  Harrah’s Cherokee seeks to make positive change in the region through employment, volunteerism and financial contributions to non-profit groups.

About Cherokee Preservation Foundation
Cherokee Preservation Foundation (www.cpfdn.org) was established in 2000 as part of the Second Amendment to the Tribal-State Compact between the EBCI and the State of North Carolina. It is an independent nonprofit foundation funded by the EBCI from gaming revenues generated by the Tribe. CPFdn is not associated with any for-profit gaming entity. Since CPFdn’s inception, it has made 621 grants totaling more than $48 million to EBCI and regional projects and programs that address cultural preservation, economic development and job creation, and environmental sustainability. Every dollar of CPFdn support has been matched by $1.69 in secured grants or other funding or in-kind resources, making CPFdn’s total contribution to the region nearly $130 million.