CHEROKEE PRESERVATION FOUNDATION WILL HOST COMMUNITY CELEBRATION ON MAY 16

Grantees Will Describe their Projects at Cherokee Youth Center Event

CHEROKEE, April 30, 2003—The Cherokee Preservation Foundation announced today that it will host a Community Celebration event on May 16 for grantees, partners and anyone else who is interested in the Foundation’s work. The event will take place at the Cherokee Youth Center located at 1570 Acquoni Road in Cherokee, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. People planning to attend the event are requested to RSVP the Foundation at (828) 497-5550.

Susan Jenkins, the Foundation’s Executive Director, will host the event, which will give the community the opportunity to learn about the work the Foundation’s grantees are doing to preserve the Cherokee culture, enhance regional economic development and job creation opportunities, and improve the environment.

Three grantees will present brief updates on their projects. They include:

• Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual Cooperative, which is working with young people to revitalize interest in learning the techniques of creating high-quality Cherokee arts and crafts.
• The Junior Master Gardener Club, formed with assistance from the Rose Garden Club and Qualla 4-H Club, that is helping to landscape the Oconaluftee Island Park.
• Robbinsville High School, which is teaching students about plants that are native to the region, in part through plantings at the high school.

Other grantees will be available to discuss the work they are doing, and traditional Cherokee dishes prepared by the North American Indian Women’s Association (NAIWA) will be served at the event.

About the Cherokee Preservation Foundation

The Cherokee Preservation Foundation was established on November 14, 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 non-profit foundation funded by the EBCI from gaming revenues generated by the tribe. The Cherokee Preservation Foundation is not part of or associated with any for-profit gaming entity.