Gun Lake Tribe donates $35K to American Red Cross in honor of citizens who passed on

Monday, October 30, 2017  

The Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, also known as the Gun Lake Tribe, has donated $35,000 to the American Red Cross.

The donations were made in honor of citizens who died this year. Leah Sprague-Fodor, a former chairperson of the tribe, was among those who passed on.

“This is a bittersweet occasion,” Chairman Scott Sprague, who is Sprague-Fodor's cousin, said on Monday. “While we’re honored to donate these funds to such a worthy cause, we’re still mourning the loss of our brothers and sisters this year. We’re glad we could find such a meaningful way to honor their memory.”

The idea for the donations came from D.K. Sprague, the tribe's longtime former chairman. Sprague-Fodor was his daughter.

The tribe's donations were sent to the West Michigan and Southwest Michigan chapters of the Red Cross. The funds will be used to people affected by disasters.