The Soboba Foundation is now accepting applications from nonprofit organizations to be considered as beneficiaries of this year’s tournament. The Foundation board will choose 10 organizations to receive $10,000 each in funding.

To be eligible for consideration, the entity must be a nonprofit or Tribal organization located within the San Jacinto Valley or one that provides services for the Hemet and San Jacinto communities.

Organizations must complete and submit a nonprofit beneficiary application that can be found at soboba-nsn.gov/sponsorship and submit it via email to Sponsorship Coordinator Andrew Vallejos at avallejos@soboba-nsn.gov.

Along with a completed application, each organization must prepare and submit a 30- to 60-second video detailing why the Foundation should consider the organization as a beneficiary and what the funding will be utilized for, if selected.

It is highly recommended that the video be completed as soon as possible because upon submission of a completed application and ensuring all criteria are met, the Sponsorship Coordinator will email a link to the Dropbox. Video submissions must be uploaded to that link by 5 p.m. on Feb. 1, no exceptions.

Submitted applications and videos will be reviewed by the Soboba Foundation Board of Directors. The Board will choose 10 organizations they deem appropriate to receive $10,000 in funding. All eligible organizations will be notified in writing whether or not they were chosen to be a beneficiary of the 13th Annual Soboba Foundation & Soboba Casino Resort Charity Golf Tournament.

All chosen organizations will be required to promote the tournament in addition to providing volunteers for the days of the event for which they will be assigned. This year’s tournament will be April 7-9 at the Soboba Springs Golf Course.

For those that would like to offer support to the selected nonprofits, there are multiple sponsorship opportunities available. “As we continue to grow, we are thrilled to offer the tournament over three days once again this year, providing even more flexibility for your team,” Tournament Director and SCR General Manager Jason Cozart said. Participation will be on a first-come, first-served basis with only 36 teams accepted each day.

An awards banquet at the SCR Event Center will follow each day’s play, where a grand prize winner of $13,000 in cash will be announced as well as winners of on-the-course games. This is in addition to a huge array of outstanding raffle prizes.

All participants are eligible for a reduced room rate at the Soboba Casino Resort Hotel, providing the perfect opportunity to enjoy the course, festivities and everything SCR has to offer.

Available sponsorships include the Premium Package that offers for each of four players tournament entry, a $500 Amazon gift card, a $100 SCR gift card, a $100 free slot play voucher for the casino, a 13-year anniversary premium gift package and a Tee sign to advertise your support.

A Pair Package includes all the same fantastic items for each of two players. Tee and Green Sponsorships are also available as well as outright donations and/or raffle items. To sign up, please visit www.soboba-nsn.gov/sponsorship.

All sponsorships will support the many charitable organizations that are served by the Soboba Foundation throughout the year. The 13^th annual Charity Golf Tournament is just one way that local nonprofits can be rewarded for the selfless work they do on behalf of their communities. Providing them with much-needed funding is a great way to promote goodwill and help them with the meaningful causes they represent.

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SCR General Manager and Tournament Director Jason Cozart said this year was another great success. “It was made possible by all of our wonderful partners, sponsors, volunteers and coordinators,” he said. “I cannot overstate the amount of blood, sweat and tears that are put into this event each and every year by the members of the Soboba Foundation, Andrew Vallejos and his staff with the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians, the staff here at Soboba Casino Resort, and the Placencia family who gives so generously with their time and effort.”

Each morning, players were greeted to the course by Soboba Foundation President Dondi Silvas and Foundation Secretary Andy Silvas. “Being able to check in the golfers gave me an opportunity to put a face to the name and personally thank them for their generosity,” Dondi said.

Soboba Tribal Council Chairman Isaiah Vivanco welcomed and thanked all those who attended prior to the shotgun starts at 10 a.m. “A lot of what we do and what our Foundation does in supporting charities is because of you and your involvement and we appreciate that; it goes a long way. We appreciate the other Tribal leaders that are out here; we support one another when it comes to things like this, and I can’t say thank you enough.”

Nearly a dozen nonprofits benefited from the event, each taking home a $12,000 check for their part in volunteering to assist with various responsibilities throughout the event. From early morning registrations to raffle prize pickups after golfing was done, all were assigned specific duties. Joey and Tara Placencia directed them to their stations as they arrived at the course, eager to help.

Brianna Miller is the Philanthropy Manager at Voices for Children, a private, nonprofit organization that recruits, trains, and supports Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers who speak up for the needs and well-being of children in foster care. As the only agency designated by the courts to provide CASA volunteers in San Diego and Riverside counties, Voices for Children’s CASAs play a crucial role in helping judges make the most informed decisions for children’s futures.

This was the group’s first year participating in the tournament and provided seven volunteers that were assigned to parking lot duties and overseeing one of the many hole activities/games that were offered throughout the course.

“We raise all of the funds necessary to sustain our program. We do not charge for any of our services,” Miller said. “Our revenue comes from competitive grants from public entities and from private sources, including individuals, corporations, and foundations, who, like Soboba, are committed to the lives of children in foster care.”

She said the tournament-generated funds will be used to recruit, train, and support additional CASA volunteers to serve more children in foster care in San Jacinto and neighboring communities. Miller said her favorite part of the event was the opportunity to show appreciation to the Tribe and share about what Voices for Children does within the local community. She added that the delicious food at the banquet was a nice bonus as well as enjoying the opportunity to personally thank members of the Tribe for their support and to learn about the other benefiting nonprofits.

“We’re grateful to have been selected as beneficiaries for the Soboba Charity Golf Tournament this year,” Jessica Muñoz, President and CEO, said. “The funds that have been invested in our program will make it possible for more vulnerable children in foster care to receive the dedicated advocacy of a CASA volunteer. We simply can’t say thank you enough.” For more information, www.speakupnow.org.

Miriam Crocker, Communications Coordinator for Michelle’s Place Cancer Resource Center, said it was also the first time their nonprofit was chosen to participate in the annual golf tournament. They provided six volunteers who assisted with parking and the creative, competitive hole activities on the course.

“We are expanding our Behavioral Health support services to include a variety of new support groups, child and family events, art therapy workshops for children affected by cancer and individual counseling to our clients,” Crocker said. “We are so grateful to receive these funds to grow such an important resource for our clients, as the demand for these vital services continues to grow.”

In 2023, Michelle’s Place launched its own Department of Behavioral Health and now offers free counseling appointments to clients and their family members. They have eliminated the need for a referral, there is no cost barrier for clients as the services are free, and they can immediately access mental health professionals both in person and via telehealth. The expansion will offer additional hours and serve more clients.

Crocker said that whenever the opportunity arose, volunteers at the tournament were happy to share about the nonprofit’s mission because “No One Should Face Cancer Alone,” and added, “We are beyond honored to have been selected as a beneficiary for this tournament.”

Attending the banquet with Michelle’s Place Fundraising and Development Officer Amber Berkey, Crocker said, “It was absolutely stunning. The charcuterie/seafood table was beautiful, the decorations were tasteful and impressive and overall the presentation was fun and to the point, which I am sure the golfers appreciated after a day of these festivities!” For more information, https://michellesplace.org.

Care-A-Van Transit Systems’ Program Coordinator Carolina Brooks said the nonprofit agency will use the funds to continue to provide transportation services for those who need to access critically needed services and resources through the free service they offer to elderly and disabled individuals and veterans. The five volunteers they provided helped out at the golf course and the Event Center. She said they were able to share the organization’s mission/goals with players and others at the tournament.

“Everyone seemed to be really enjoying themselves,” Brooks said. For more information, www.careavantransit.com.

Native Youth Foundation empowers Indigenous youth by providing positive athletic and educational experiences.

“Native Youth Foundation would like to thank Soboba for including us in the tournament and picking our foundation as a recipient,” Sports Director Keith Vasquez said. For its first year participating, four volunteers were assigned to run two games at two different holes.

He said the $12,000 will be used to fund their girls’ flag football team tournament fees and travel costs as well as women’s self-defense classes and the boys’ 7 vs 7 flag football teams. Teams will be participating in local tournaments as well as traveling to Las Vegas, Arizona, Puerto Rico and Denver.

“The whole Soboba Charity Golf Tournament was amazing!” Vasquez said. “The amount of vendors was probably our favorite part as well as being able to network and share our mission with the players and vendors at the tournament. This is by far the best tournament that we’ve been to, and we look forward to participating in it in the future.” For more information, www.nativeyouthfoundation.org.

Other nonprofits who benefited from this year’s tournament are Boxing for Christ, California Tribal Families Coalition, EXCEED, Friends of Valley-Wide Foundation, Inter-Tribal Sports, San Jacinto Mountain Bike Team and Soroptimist International-San Jacinto/Hemet Club.

During the April 3 banquet, Indian Gaming Association Chairman Ernest L. Stevens Jr. made a special presentation of a Pendleton blanket to Soboba Tribal Chairwoman Geneva Mojado saying that she has done so much for Tribal sports over the years.

Cozart said, “I am grateful to be part of this event, and the best part is having a front row seat to witness all of the teamwork and dedication that it takes to put this thing on every year.  We’re already looking forward to 2025 and finding ways to continue improving the event!”

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This year’s golf tournament director Jason Cozart, who is also the assistant general manager of the Soboba Casino, said he was fortunate to have recently met William Howell, co-owner of Pitch Bags and part of the American Cornhole Organization and the West Coast Conference Commissioner. Howell is a certified official, a former professional player and a broadcaster. His company, Left Coast Cornhole, is an affiliate of the ACO.

For the Soboba Switch tournament, he served as director and provided the Pitch Bags. The tournament was run with a software called Scoreholio. Howell, who began organizing cornhole tournaments locally in 2013, said he participates or organizes about 100 events annually.

“In the past 10 years, I’ve run about 1,500 tournaments,” Howell said. “I really didn’t have any concerns. I only wanted to provide the best service possible for such a prestigious event. The Tribe took a big chance on hiring me at the last minute and I wanted to earn their respect.”

He explained that the game is similar to horseshoes except it utilizes wooden boxes called cornhole platforms and corn bags instead of horseshoes and metal stakes. Contestants take turns pitching their corn bags at the cornhole platform until a contestant reaches the score of 21 points. A corn bag in the hole scores three points, while one on the platform scores one point.

Howell said scoring can be swift and the lead may change hands several times in a match before the winner is decided. The game is generally played tournament style with an individual or team being named the champion at the end of the tournament.

Cozart said in the days leading up to the tournament, they were obviously worried about finding a group or individual with access to enough pro-style bags and boards, as well as the response from those who have grown to love the annual golf tournament. “The one thing I wasn’t worried about was our team’s ability to adapt and overcome. Our SCR staff, Soboba Tribal Staff, Foundation and Council members, along with all of our volunteers, once again showcased their resourcefulness and resiliency,” he said.

Although some of the players who had originally signed up for the charity golf tournament were unable to attend due to the weather or other factors, the event was still a huge success. The tournament was held on seven courts indoors at the Soboba Springs Golf Course.

Soboba Tribal Council Vice Chairwoman Geneva Mojado said, “I love to golf and look forward to our charity tournament each year to have fun playing with so many supporters for our local nonprofit community. So, when the heavy rains threatened our event, I was disappointed. But to see everyone on Tribal Council, the Soboba Casino Resort and the Soboba Foundation work together to find a way to move forward made me proud of the employees and leadership we have. I was thrilled to see everybody make it work and just go with the flow, no pun intended.”

Cozart said, “With 150 players the first day and 158 players the second day, we had a 72% and 75% response rate respectively. That actually ended up being a pretty ideal number, ensuring we could run the event in the same or less time than it would have taken to play an entire round of tournament golf.”

Two people make up one team so there were 154 teams that played during the two-day event. Each day had a round robin (random play) with two games into a single elimination bracket. There were a total of 243 matches during the tournament, which lasted a combined total time of 10 hours. The top four teams from each day received great prizes.

And the 10 nonprofits that benefited from the event were more than happy to volunteer their time at the two nights of awards banquets on March 21 and 22. Since they were held at the Soboba Casino Resort Event Center, they were not affected by the inclement weather. And representatives from each of the organizations were on hand to receive a $10,000 check to help them fulfill a dream project or program that will further their service to the community.

Soboba Foundation President Dondi Silvas said, “When it looked as if the weather might impact our annual charity golf tournament, Jason brought us this alternate plan at an emergency meeting the morning before the first day of the tournament. We were all on board and so amazed by the vision he had and the dedication of his team to pull it off. The nonprofits were so grateful that we were able to pivot so they could still benefit from our amazing participants and sponsors, who blessed us with their support despite the change of plans.”

Nonprofits who were chosen as benefactors this year are the 7G Foundation, Boxing for Christ, Carol’s Kitchen, EEK Fitness, Four Directions Club, Friends of Valley-Wide Foundation, Grandfathers for Golf, Inter-Tribal Sports, Oak Grove Center and the San Jacinto Mountain Bike Team.

Soboba Tribal Council Chairman Isaiah Vivanco said the dynamics were different for this event, but participants were complimentary to the changes. “I talked to people who were unsure about coming out in the bad weather but when they heard we were having a Cornhole Tournament, they were on their way. Many said it turned out to be a great way for them to network.”

He added that although this is Soboba’s first cornhole tournament, it certainly won’t be the last. “We were happy that we were able to turn this into a different type of opportunity for everyone,” Vivanco said.

One of those players was Keith Kauffman, a project executive with general contractors C.W. Driver, a company that has been a major sponsor of the charity golf tournament for many years. Although he wasn’t sure how the switch in sports would turn out, he said it was a lot of fun with many more opportunities for networking. “I played in the tournament and the other half of my team won the grand prize (on the first day); everything turned out amazing!” Kauffman said.

Cozart said, “I loved the fact that I was able to connect with everyone at the event, rather than my own foursome and maybe a couple others, which is more typical of golf tournaments. You always have the chance to catch up at the banquet and during registration pre-round, but this event provided an extended opportunity to meet with old and new friends alike.”

Howell said that many of the participants had not played cornhole before so he made it a point to make himself available the entire time so everyone felt comfortable and had fun.

“Personally, this is the greatest tournament that I’ve ever experienced on a charitable level,” he said. “My cheeks hurt from smiling after the first day. I met so many great people that had such a blast. There were zero complaints, and everyone was so gracious!”

For more information on cornhole tournaments, visit www.Americancornhole.com or contact William Howell at 951-392-4167 or pitchbags@gmail.com. He said that folks who would like to purchase corn bags can use the code PITCHACO at www.pitchbags.com for a big discount.

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