The Diana J. White Cancer Institute will be located in Sonora, California. Photo from Sonora Regional Medical Center / Facebook

The Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians donated a total of $100,000 for a cancer center in Sonora, California.

The tribe donated $50,000 and the Black Oak Casino Resort donated another $50,000. The money helps the Sonora Regional Medical Center reach its goal to raise $3 million by the end of the year for the project.

The 65,000 square-foot Diana J. White Cancer Institute is expected to cost $36 million. Adventist Health is providing $29 million and another $4 million will come from the medical center's reserve fund.

With the tribe's donation, the center has raised $1.9 million of the remaining $3 million it needs for the facility, which could open in late 2016 or early 2017, MyMotherLode.com reported. Demolition work at the site began last month. A ceremonial groundbreaking was held in July.

Cancer is the leading cause of death for American Indians and Alaska Natives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Get the Story:
Me-Wuk Indians, casino make big donation to Sonora Regional Cancer Center (The Sonora Union Democrat 10/8)
Cancer Center Capital Campaign: Almost Two-thirds There (MyMotherLode.Com 10/7)