Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians

When Benny Helms Jr. enlisted in the U.S. Navy right out of high school in 1967, he was following in the footsteps of other family members who served in the military, two that made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

More than 20 vendors welcomed visitors to the Soboba Sports Complex on Oct. 25 for a Body, Mind and Spirit Wellness Fair sponsored by Let’s Get Moving Mondays and its founder, Kelli Hurtado. She began planning the event a while ago but for the past three weeks really focused on the logistics.

The Soboba Foundation, in collaboration with Soboba Casino Resort, is getting ready for its annual Soboba Gives Back! Toy Drive event. Each year, toys are collected by volunteers who sort and count them for distribution to organizations that request help for community children in need.

After having to postpone its annual Earth Day celebration in April due to COVID-19 concerns, the Soboba Tribal Environmental Department was glad to get the green light to host the event on September 30. Tweaking the national 2021 theme of Restore Our Earth to be more relevant to tribal lands, the department focused on Restore Mother Earth.

Antonia Briones-Venegas and Aurelia Mendoza officially opened their Frybread Kitchen in February after both had cooked on their own for years, donating their time and special dishes to events and fundraisers.