The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians’ 2025 Chumash Charity Golf Classic will raise funds for three local nonprofits whose programs are making a difference in Santa Barbara County.
Proceeds from the three-day golf tournament, Sept. 23-25 at Alisal Golf Course in Solvang, will go to Angels Foster Care, Child Abuse Listening Mediation (CALM), and Mental Wellness Center.
“The Chumash Charity Golf Classic allows us to support organizations that are making a real difference in people’s lives,” said Kenneth Kahn, tribal chairman for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.
“Angels Foster Care provides safe, nurturing homes for infants and toddlers in need; CALM works tirelessly to prevent child abuse and support healing; and the Mental Wellness Center offers vital resources for those in need. We’re proud to help strengthen their efforts through this year’s event.”
Angels Foster Care, which serves Santa Barbara County and southern San Luis Obispo County, is a nonprofit foster family agency founded in 2005. It provides safe, stable, loving homes for infants and toddlers in foster care.
The nonprofit serves children from birth to age 3 and sibling sets to age 5 with social workers providing comprehensive training and intensive assistance to Angels Foster Care parents.
“Angels Foster Care families confidently care for their foster children knowing that they have the tools and support they need to provide the very best possible environment for a baby, toddler or sibling set,” the tribe said.
“Angels Foster Care is deeply honored to be a beneficiary of this year’s Chumash Charity Golf Classic,” said Elizabeth Moss, interim executive director for Angels Foster Care.
“The generosity of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and all who support this event make it possible for us to provide safe, loving homes for children in foster care and critical support for kinship families across Santa Barbara County,” she said.
“This partnership strengthens our community by giving young children in need the chance to have the best possible start in life,” she said.
CALM, also serving Santa Barbara County, provides pioneering, trauma-informed services and evidence-based practices that are centered on the strengths of their clients.
“By interrupting intergenerational cycles of trauma, CALM is changing the fabric of the community. The agency’s compassionate staff and dedicated volunteers share a vision of supporting every family in the community so that every child thrives,” the tribe said.
“We are deeply grateful to the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians for their ongoing generosity and commitment to children and families in our community,” said Ashlyn McCague, CALM’s development director.
“It is an honor to be a beneficiary of this year’s Chumash Charity Golf Classic, which will help strengthen CALM’s work to prevent and treat childhood trauma for the families who need it most in our community,” McCague said.
Mental Wellness Center, serving Santa Barbara County, supports individuals and families impacted by mental illness through mental health education, essential community services and safe, affordable housing.
For 78 years, the nonprofit has been dedicated to envisioning a community where everyone can achieve their healthiest lives, free from the burden of fear and misinformation surrounding mental illness, the tribe said
“Being selected as a beneficiary of this year’s Chumash Charity Golf Classic is an incredible honor for the Mental Wellness Center,” said Annmarie Cameron, CEO for Mental Wellness Center.
“We look to dedicated funding partners like the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians to assist us in sustaining and growing these essential programs, ensuring that no one has to face mental health challenges alone in our community,” Cameron said.
Since its inaugural event in 2005, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians’ annual golf tournament has raised some $2 million for local charities and nonprofits.
Past beneficiaries have included Court Appointed Special Advocates of Santa Barbara County, Lompoc Family YMCA, Unity Shoppe, Alzheimer’s Association Central Coast Chapter, Good Samaritan Shelter, and local schools and museums.
The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians has donated more than $30 million to hundreds of groups, organizations and schools in the community and across the nation as part of the tribe’s long-standing tradition of giving.
For more information and to access applications, visit www.chumash.gov/foundation or call 805-688-7997.