BEAUMONT, CA – Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg welcomed hundreds of golfers from across Southern California to a day of championship golf and prizes at the 26th Annual Morongo Charity Golf Tournament. Held at the beautiful, 36-hole Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon in Beaumont, CA, the annual tournament raised over $150,000 to support local non-profits.
Wahlberg, star of The Fighter, Lone Survivor, The Other Guys and many blockbuster films, greeted golfers and talked about his family’s connection to the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa – the only tribal casino in the nation that is home to Wahlburgers, the fast-casual restaurant chain founded by Wahlberg and his brothers, Donnie and Paul.
“What an honor it is to be partners with Morongo Casino, and to be able to hear the [casino] commercials mentioning our family, our restaurant, with their family, it really is a treat,” said Wahlberg. “This is such a great cause and I really appreciate you guys coming out to support it.”
The tournament raised $100,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the San Gorgonio Pass and $50,000 for the Dorothy Ramon Learning Center. The tournament began with a helicopter dropping numbered golf balls on a green as Morongo’s first-ever Helicopter Ball Drop Raffle, which raised thousands of dollars for the Banning Animal Shelter.
“From serving local youth and families to finding forever homes for dogs and cats, to preserving tribal history and languages, the non-profits benefiting from this year’s Morongo Charity Golf Tournament help strengthen our region’s future while also protecting our past,” said Morongo Tribal Vice Chair James Siva, the event’s co-chair. “Giving back to the Pass community is important to Morongo and we are grateful to the golfers and sponsors who once again helped make our annual golf tournament a success.”
“Morongo’s generous contributions to the Boys & Girls Clubs over the years have helped thousands of local students and their families,” said Amy Herr, Chief Executive Officer of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the San Gorgonio Pass. “We deeply appreciate the tribe’s support for those in need across the Pass.”
Since 1997, the Morongo Charity Golf Tournament has raised over $2.5 million to help dozens of local non-profits that serve children, schools, veterans, and hospitals.
“Helping others is central to who we are at Morongo, and we are delighted to be supporting organizations that improve the quality of life in the Pass,” said Morongo Tribal Council Member Brian Lugo, the event’s co-chair.
