Smoke Signals 3
Tribal Member Tammy Cook Raises Money for McMinnville Hospice
JUNE 15, 2002
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By Ron Karten
Tribal member Tammy Cook has
a lot of thanks in her heart for
McMinnville's Health Dynamics
Hospice. Nurses from this non
profit arm of Legacy Health Sys
tems were by the Cook family's side
as Tammy's husband, Mark, also a
Tribal member, formerly the Pow
wow Chairman, succumbed to can
cer at the end of 1999.
The hospice also was there when
Ivanetta Cook, Mark's mother and
a Tribal Elder, was ill and passed
away earlier that year. "I thought,
the Spirit Mountain Community
Fund has given a lot of money to
hospice in the past," said Cook.
"But, you know, the hospice nurses
were there for me and it was time
for me to do something personal in
return."
Cook is Executive Host at Spirit
Mountain Casino. Her son, An
thony, will graduate from the Lilu
class at Twah Sunchako, the Tribal
HeadStart program, in August.
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Tammy Cook
In raising money for hospice this
year, Cook will represent the casino,
and gain the assistance of Glen
Blackwell, the casino's food service
manager. "Glen is helping me with
. ;
Glen Blackwell
procurement
and getting
donations
from various
said
Cook.
Each year,
the highlight of
McMinnville's
annual Tur- """
key Rama festival is the "Biggest Tur
key" award, which goes to the fund
raiser who brings in the most money
for the hospice facility. The event
has grown dramatically since its in
ception in 1981. That year, the ben
efit raised $800. In 1999, the big
gest year for the fund-raiser, the
event brought in $48,300. Last year,
participants raised more than
$37,000.
Cook is ready to show her grati
tude to the hospice in the most con
crete way.
She has set a goal of $10,000 for
her fund raising efforts. Honors
will be awarded to the best fund
raiser at the end of Turkey Rama
on the evening of July 12 (See
sidebar). Of course, honors not
withstanding, everybody involved
wins. B
American Indian Week Events At Spirit Mountain Casino and State Capital
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(Upper Left) Tribal Elder Marie Schmidt showed her handiwork to pass
ersby at Spirit Mountain Casino. Schmidt was participating in one of several
events at the casino related to American Indian Week (May 20-24).
(Lower Left) Tribal member and Culture Committee Chair Pat Allen dis
played her crafts at the casino and explained her work to curious guests.
(Top) Oregon's Secretary of State Bill Bradbury signed the Proclamation
for American Indian Week at the State Capitol on Thursday, May 23.
(Right) Native Musician Bill Miller performed a free concert at the Tribal
Governance Center in Grand Ronde on Friday, May 24. Miller's concert was
described as "inspiring" and it was well attended as the atrium at the Gover
nance Center continues to become a viable concert setting.
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The Honorable Mark Hatfield Honored
with First Citizen Award in Portland
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Friend Of the Tribe Former Oregon Senator and Governor Mark O.
Hatfield was honored with the city's annual Portland First Citizen Award at the
Hilton Hotel. Among the guests honoring Hatfield were Tribal Elder and former
Tribal Chair Kathryn Harrison. Hatfield was among a handful of Oregon politicians
that helped the Tribe achieve Restoration to federally recognized status as a sover
eign nation in the early 1980s. Hatfield was the U.S. Senator from Oregon for over
30 years and spent two terms in the Governor's mansion with his wife Antoinette.
Hatfield will turn 80 in July.
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The Oregon Association of Athletic
Directors recently named Willamina
Athletic Director Jerry Buczynski the
state's 2A Athletic Director of the
Year. Buczynski, 42, was honored
at the association's banquet in
Sunriver, Oregon. He grew up in
Amity where he was a four-sport
star. Buczynski has been at
Willamina since 1983.
David Holmes
Grand Ronde Tribal members and
Willamina student athletes Matt
Zimbrick, Kevin Ruggles and David
Holmes were recently honored by the
school for their outstanding basketball
seasons. Matt Zimbrick shared Most
Valuable Player and Best Offensive
Player honors with David Holmes and
Kevin Ruggles was named the team's
Most Inspirational Player. Zimbrick com
peted in track and field this spring and
Ruggles played for the baseball team.
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