Tribe leads by actions with its generosity

Education, Chief Allan has long said, is the key to success. The chairman of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe backs up words with actions. 

On Wednesday, at the Coeur d'Alene Regional Chamber's Scholarship Breakfast, 200 students were initially honored by the Tribe and business community with $200,000 in scholarships. That was fantastic.

The Tribe decided that wasn't enough.

In a surprise at the end of the program, it announced it would double those scholarships from $1,000 to $2,000, bringing the total amount to $400,000. The Tribe's share of that figure was just north of $300,000. Ten students also received Strength of Character $500 scholarships from Northwest Specialty Hospital.

Wow.

The tribe's generosity can't be overstated. It believes in education not just for tribal members, but for all. It knows the impact education can have on families for generations. It understands education is the pathway to a better and brighter future.

Chief Allan knows this by experience.

He was the first in his family to attend college when he went to Eastern Washington University, earning a degree in political science. 

“My story has always been education. I really push education, not only for ourselves, but for everybody,” he told The Press in a previous interview.

Toward that goal, the tribe has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars for scholarships for local graduating seniors. Allan, and the rest of North Idaho, is grateful that the tribe has the means through its Coeur d'Alene Casino to help youth pursue their dreams. 

"Gaming has been good for the tribe. It’s pulled people out of poverty. We share in our wealth. That to me is awesome. That's better than anything," Chief Allan said.

The impact in a short time is astounding.

Consider that just five years ago, Allan issued a challenge to the business community to expand the Coeur d'Alene Chamber's scholarship program, with the Tribe matching funds to increase the number of students receiving support for their academic journeys beyond high school.

It continues to do so.

In five years, 282 local businesses have funded $1.37 million in scholarships for 645 students from 21 schools in the region through this program.

Imagine what that has meant to so many students and their families. Image the changed lives. Whereas some students might have thought about going on to college, hoping for it but doubting it could happen, the Tribe has been a key player in making it happen.

To succeed in college demands hard work. The Tribe's donations have allowed students to focus on their academics.

Let's give a round of applause to the chamber, our business community and the Tribe, for stepping up to benefit students in a manner that can only be admired and hopefully, emulated.

We would love to see more businesses involved in providing these scholarships as the need and desire for higher education continues to grow. If you need a little motivation, consider these words by Chief Allan when it comes to what young people can do with an education: 

“The possibilities are endless."