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- By Native News Online Staff
The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe announced on Friday its Muckleshoot Casino Resort has entered into an alliance with the Major League Baseball’s Seattle Mariners. The alliance is a long-term, multi-faceted partnership that will allow the Muckleshoot tribe to have more visibility.
This comprehensive partnership, encompassing the role of Exclusive Casino Partner, has been established to collectively contribute to the well-being of the broader community throughout the Pacific Northwest.
"Indigenous culture is steeped in game play as a way to strengthen communities, nurture resilience, and advance wellness,” Junior Maldonado, Muckleshoot Casino Resort Executive Director of Gaming Operations said. “These connective values drive our shared identity with the Mariners. We are grateful for the opportunity to educate fans on the Muckleshoot heritage as this region’s first caretakers and to empower new generations to dream bigger.”
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“This partnership is the result of two organizations coming together who share common values and beliefs. We’re excited to celebrate the tribe’s culture and traditions with fans at T-Mobile Park, while providing enhanced baseball and softball access to more children throughout our region,” Catie Griggs, Seattle Mariners president of Business Operations said.
As an integral component of this collaboration, the Mariners and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe will jointly host five baseball and softball camps. These camps will feature coaches who are former collegiate and professional players, and they will be located in areas where access to baseball and softball programs has been limited. Furthermore, the two entities will collaborate to establish a fresh after-school baseball and softball youth development initiative at the Muckleshoot Tribal School. This endeavor will primarily focus on middle school students, a demographic that frequently experiences a drop in access to sports opportunities.
Additionally, the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe will champion causes aligned with the core priorities of the Mariners Care Foundation, which include promoting equity and justice, as well as enhancing the overall health and vitality of their hometown. Among the organizations to benefit from this support are the Seattle Foundation's Fund for Inclusive Recovery, a program aiding those disproportionately affected by the pandemic, and the Downtown Emergency Service Center, renowned for providing low-barrier health services, survival support, and permanent housing to thousands of homeless and formerly homeless individuals.
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