What two percent will get you

NEWS RELEASE

SAULT TRIBE OF CHIPPEWA INDIANS

**************************** SAULT STE. MARIE, MI — Police and fire agencies, local libraries, public schools, indoor and outdoor recreation areas and programs, public universities, and other recipients across the eastern and central Upper Peninsula will receive $379,854 in fall 2010 two percent donations from the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

The fall two percent donations, announced today by the Sault Tribe, benefit communities and citizens in seven U.P. counties.

“The Tribe’s two percent donations benefit communities and citizens across the U.P. and affirm our support for our friends, neighbors and the places we have called home for hundreds of years,” said Sault Tribe Chairman Joe McCoy. “We are grateful to the communities that support us and gladly give back to show our appreciation and to benefit everyone here in the U.P.”

Since 1993, the Sault Tribe has disbursed two percent payments twice annually to U.P. communities and organizations.

Funds are distributed based to communities extending from St. Ignace to Manistique, to Marquette to Sault Ste. Marie.

To date more than $31 million has been awarded by the Tribe based on two percent of slot revenue from the Tribe’s Kewadin Casino properties in Sault Ste. Marie, St. Ignace, Hessel, Manistique and Christmas.

Top recipients of the fall two percent funds include $21,750 for Munising School renovations and $24,389 for the Pickford Community Library.

Funds were also used to purchase Jaws of Life for Moran Township and fire equipment for Hendricks Township.

Humanitarian causes such as the Chippewa County spay and neuter program and Schoolcraft County MSU community baskets were also funded.

Melanie Greenfield, who led fundraising efforts for Pickford Community Library, said the Tribe’s donation will assure the library is available to residents for the next three years.

“The money from the Tribe paid for a computerized card-catalogue system, library specific supplies, furniture, and books,” Greenfield said. “We are very appreciative of the Sault Tribe's continued support and couldn’t have done this without them.”

Additional two percent funds were distributed to:

- Sault Tribe Unit I — Lake Superior State University, United Nations Conference, $11,611; Kinross Charter Twp., Kinross Recreation Center, $11,611; Chippewa County, Animal Control Shelter spay/neuter program, $16,111; JKL Bahweting, Young Wildcat, $2,500; Sault Area Public Schools, Sault High scoreboard, $17,207 and additional funding for equipment or supplies, $6,111; and Chippewa County, Community Center remodeling/upgrades, $15,000.

- Sault Tribe Unit II — Clark Twp., Cedarville Harbor expansion project, $8,619; Hendricks Twp., Community Shelter, $3,500 and Fire Department equipment, $2,500; Newberry Elementary, A Lens into the World, $500; Three Lakes Academy, Get Them Outdoors, $5,000; Pickford Twp., Pickford Community Library, $24,389; Engadine Consolidated Schools youth activity programming, $7,500; Rudyard Area Schools, Public Library, $12,900; and Pickford Public Schools, welding program, $5,243.

- Sault Tribe Unit III — Moran Twp., Jaws of Life, $3,000; City of St. Ignace, Little Bear Operations, $25,651, Library Operations, $14,000, Ojibwe Museum, $5,000 and Chiefs Park Development, $10,000; St. Ignace Twp., sewer project, $10,000; and St. Ignace Area Schools, LaSalle High School bowling, $2,500.

- Sault Tribe Unit IV — Negaunee Public Schools, $3,000; Ishpeming Public Schools, $3,000; Gladstone Area Schools, $3,000; Rapid River Public Schools, $3,000; Escanaba Area Schools, $3,000; Manistique Area Schools, $3,000; Big Bay De Noc School, $3,000; Schoolcraft County MSU, Community Baskets, $3,401; Nah Tah Wahsh Public School, Willow Creek Building, $22,500; Schoolcraft Medical Care Facility, furniture, $3,749; City of Manistique, Little Bear Kitchen renovation, $7,500; Maple Ridge Twp. Board, new roof for Township Hall, $2,500; Big Bay De Noc School, C.U.P. Baseball, $1,500; and Bay De Noc College, YMCA, $5,000.

- Sault Tribe Unit V — Northern Michigan University, Community Recreation, $10,000; Au Train Twp., All Veterans Memorial, $10,000; Munising Public Schools, school renovations, $21,750 and Title VII, $7,000; Marquette Area Public Schools, $10,000; North Star Academy, Physical Health Program, $5,000 County of Marquette, RSVP, $7,500 and Media Leadership, $5,000; Alger County, Altran, $5,000 and Commission on Aging, $5,000; and Burt Twp., disc golf course, $6,000.

**************************** Pictured: Debbie Cox, staffer at the Chippewa County Animal Shelter, cuddles with two of its shelter animals.

The Animal Control Shelter spay/neuter program received $16,110.93 from the tribe and casino this two percent funding cycle.