At the January 16 meeting of the San Jacinto Unified School District Board of Trustees, members and leaders took time to recognize the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians for their ongoing contributions to students and families in the community.
The Soboba Tribal Council, Soboba Foundation, Soboba Casino Resort, Soboba Fire Department and Sponsorship Coordinator Andrew Vallejos were recognized by Superintendent David Pyle and the Board of Trustees for their generous donations and grants for the Soboba Gives Back! Thanksgiving Dinners, Soboba Gives Back! Christmas Toy Drive, Soboba Lip Sync Contest, Soboba Charity Golf Tournament, San Jacinto High School Athletics and the Hemet-San Jacinto Student of the Month program, just to name a few.
“We truly value our partnership and the opportunities it has provided for our students, staff and community by giving from the heart to those in need,” Pyle said. “We do this every January to recognize the efforts that Soboba has given to our district. If you’ve been in the Valley for any amount of time, you know the impact that Soboba has on all of our organizations, whether privately, personally, or as a school district. On behalf of our board of education, thank you so much.”
The perpetual plaques were presented “in recognition of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians and Soboba Foundation for their generosity and commitment to SJUSD students and families through the support of” the turkey dinner distribution and toy donations.
Additionally, the Soboba Gives Back! events bring the community together to help distribute the fixings for a turkey dinner and to “Unstuff the Bus” with toys for district Christmas programs. Many of those who consistently volunteer their time, alongside those from Soboba, were also recognized for their contributions and received certificates of appreciation.
“From everything that we receive, we need to make sure we have enough hands to deliver out to our community,” Pyle said. “Your presence shows the commitment and impact you have on our students and on our staff so thank you for being here and thank you for being contributing members to our school system.”
Those attending were Sonia Ramos, Boxing for Christ; Mayor Valerie Vandever, representing the City of San Jacinto; members of the Four Directions club; Global CTI; Veronica Hawkes, Greater San Jacinto Valley Chamber of Commerce; the Hemet-San Jacinto Valley Chamber of Commerce; Hemet Lions Club; Cyndi Lemke, Legacy Bank; Lakshman Koka, San Jacinto Medical Clinic & Urgent Care; Riverside County Sheriff’s Captain James Burton, San Jacinto Police Lt. James Roy and other officers; San Jacinto Lions Club; San Jacinto Rotary; San Jacinto Education Foundation; San Jacinto Walmart Supercenter; Sonia Lamas with Lamas Housing Project; and Karena Zermeno, with the Hemet-San Jacinto Student of the Month program.
Soboba Tribal Council Chairman Isaiah Vivanco, who was in Sacramento on Tribal business and unable to attend the meeting, said, “Although we appreciate the recognition, that’s not why we do it. We are fortunate enough to be in a position to help others, especially during the holidays. We look forward to continuing our Soboba Gives Back! motto.”
Photos courtesy of Carrie Best
