Geri Small, Chief Professional Officer, Northern Cheyenne Boy's & Girl's Club, Matt Jones, Public Affairs Director, BNSF and President Llevando "Cowboy" Fisher, Northern Cheyenne.
Curtis Yarlott, Executive Director, St. Labre.
Funds donated to Northern Cheyenne youth
By Clara Caufield LAME DEER, Mont. — The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) Foundation donated $28,000 to programs that serve Northern Cheyenne youth. Matt Jones, Regional Director of Public Affairs, BNSF personally made the check presentations to President Llevando “Cowboy” Fisher at the Tribal Council meeting. “BNSF has about 2,200 employees in Montana, including several important hubs in southeastern Montana. We are happy to partner with our neighboring communities,” Jones explained. “These two projects fit within our mission.” Fisher, in turn presented the donations: Geri Small, accepted $18,000 for the Boy’s and Girl’s Club that will support various youth programs and Curtis Yarlott, Executive Director was on hand to receive $10,000 for a St. Labre Water project. “We truly appreciate these donations, because the Tribe can no longer afford to fund the Boy’s and Girl’s Club, “Fisher noted. Small explained that the funding will support youth programs such as “Smart Moves”, after school tutoring, computer literacy, etc. Curtis Yarlott, Executive Director, St. Labre was on hand at the January 21 Council meeting to accept a $10,000 BNSF donation. He explained that the water plant serving St. Labre was originally built in the 1960’s and parts of it even before that. “It’s not a question of if the system will fail, it’s a question of when. The system is so old that we’re even having problems getting replacement parts.” The schools water system serves the campus and even some adjacent facilities. “We serve over 400 Native American students,” Yarlott stressed. “And you can’t run a school without water.” St. Labre has been fundraising for some time to replace the water system, recently wining a Coal Board grant. “Every penny helps,” Yarlott said. “We truly appreciate BNSF’s help.” (Contact Clara Caufield at acheyennevoice@gmail.com)
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