St. Regis Mohawk Tribe: News & Resources

AKWESASNE , NY — The holiday season is just around the corner and the spirit of giving is going strong at the Mohawk Bingo Palace . Employees of the Tribe’s Class II gaming operation got together last week and created an angel tree for the local foster care program. Nearly 100 children will be receiving holiday gifts this Christmas season courtesy of Bingo Palace employees.

“The Mohawk Bingo Palace staff decided this year that rather than exchanging gifts among each other, they came up with the idea of an in-house Angel Tree,” said Bingo Palace General Manager Leonard Oakes, Jr. “The idea was presented to management and they, along with the Akwesasne Child and Family Services Program for Foster Care, were receptive to the idea.”

Since it was first established in 1971, the Akwesasne Child and Family Service (ACFS) Program and its staff of 23 provide a full range of support services and care to children in the Akwesasne community. As a Child Protection Agency, they are committed to ensuring that the health, safety, well-being and development of a child are protected.

This year, employees of the Bingo Palace have decided to help out the Foster Care program and placed a six-foot Christmas tree in the gaming facility’s conference room. The tree is decorated with crystal angles and 93 tags that contain information employees need to purchase a suitable gift for a child. The tags indicate if the gift is for a boy or girl, the child’s age, and a number is listed on the back to match the gift with the child.

Oakes noted, “The Bingo Palace Associates are contributing gifts directly to the foster care children of Akwesasne and is another way of the Bingo Palace giving back to the community.”

The Mohawk Bingo Palace is also collecting toys for this year’s Akwesasne Mountain of Toys drive being held this Friday at the Hogansburg-Akwesasne Volunteer Fire Department’s Station #1. Guests of the Bingo Palace are bringing in a new packaged toy for the event and in return are receiving a free 3-on bingo package.

The generosity of Bingo Palace patrons has been overwhelming and the amount of toys continues to grow. In response, the Bingo Palace will be offering this promotion until December 15^th. Guests are encouraged to continue bringing gifts for a child.

“The Akwesasne Child and Family Service Program greatly appreciate the Mohawk Bingo Palace for taking the initiative to ensure that the children in our program have a Merry Christmas” added Tracey Seymour, Unit Coordinator for ACFS’s Resource Development Unit.

The Resource Development component is designed to provide Care Homes for children and youth in need of a safe environment. They are actively involved in recruiting Foster Parents that are willing to open their hearts and their homes to a child. Interested community members can contact them at (613)575-2341 (ext. 3308).








		PRESS RELEASE For immediate release: Tsiothohrha/December 8, 2005 For information contact: Public Information Office St. Regis Mohawk Tribe Tel: (518) 358-2272 ext. 236 Fax: (518) 358-9675 MOHAWK B INGO P ALACE CREATES FOSTER CARE ANGEL TREE Employees Will Provide Christmas Gifts to 93 Children AKWESASNE , NY — The holiday season is just around the corner and the spirit of giving is going strong at the Mohawk Bingo Palace . Employees of the Tribe’s Class II gaming operation got together last week and created an angel tree for the local foster care program. Nearly 100 children will be receiving holiday gifts this Christmas season courtesy of Bingo Palace employees. “The Mohawk Bingo Palace staff decided this year that rather than exchanging gifts among each other, they came up with the idea of an in-house Angel Tree,” said Bingo Palace General Manager Leonard Oakes, Jr. “The idea was presented to management and they, along with the Akwesasne Child and Family Services Program for Foster Care, were receptive to the idea.” Since it was first established in 1971, the Akwesasne Child and Family Service (ACFS) Program and its staff of 23 provide a full range of support services and care to children in the Akwesasne community. As a Child Protection Agency, they are committed to ensuring that the health, safety, well-being and development of a child are protected. This year, employees of the Bingo Palace have decided to help out the Foster Care program and placed a six-foot Christmas tree in the gaming facility’s conference room. The tree is decorated with crystal angles and 93 tags that contain information employees need to purchase a suitable gift for a child. The tags indicate if the gift is for a boy or girl, the child’s age, and a number is listed on the back to match the gift with the child. Oakes noted, “The Bingo Palace Associates are contributing gifts directly to the foster care children of Akwesasne and is another way of the Bingo Palace giving back to the community.” The Mohawk Bingo Palace is also collecting toys for this year’s Akwesasne Mountain of Toys drive being held this Friday at the Hogansburg-Akwesasne Volunteer Fire Department’s Station #1. Guests of the Bingo Palace are bringing in a new packaged toy for the event and in return are receiving a free 3-on bingo package. The generosity of Bingo Palace patrons has been overwhelming and the amount of toys continues to grow. In response, the Bingo Palace will be offering this promotion until December 15^th. Guests are encouraged to continue bringing gifts for a child. “The Akwesasne Child and Family Service Program greatly appreciate the Mohawk Bingo Palace for taking the initiative to ensure that the children in our program have a Merry Christmas” added Tracey Seymour, Unit Coordinator for ACFS’s Resource Development Unit. The Resource Development component is designed to provide Care Homes for children and youth in need of a safe environment. They are actively involved in recruiting Foster Parents that are willing to open their hearts and their homes to a child. Interested community members can contact them at (613)575-2341 (ext. 3308). --30-- The St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Council is the duly elected and federally recognized government of the Mohawk people.