Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and Its Four Winds Casinos Donate Proceeds from the 2025 Four Winds Invitational to Beacon Children’s Hospital

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – November 17, 2025 – The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians and its Four Winds® Casinos are pleased to announce that a donation of $100,000 was presented to Beacon Children’s Hospital today during a check presentation ceremony.  The donation is a result of the proceeds from the 2025 Four Winds Invitational which took place from August 1 – 3 at South Bend Country Club.  Beacon Children’s Hospital will use the funds to purchase NICU2Home by AngelEye Health, which is a seamless communication and care platform for families to engage with their clinicians while in the NICU as well as during their transition from the NICU to home.  Families using the NICU2Home app report a better understanding of care and their babies’ progress, as well as greater confidence in caring for their babies after returning home.

Commenting on the donation, Matthew Wesaw, Chairman of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians of Michigan and Indiana said, “The Pokagon Band is very proud of our continued sponsorship of the Four Winds Invitational and our annual donations to Beacon Health System and Beacon Children’s Hospital which is approaching $1.2 million over the past fourteen years.  In addition to helping Beacon provide lifesaving and critical care to patients and families in the region, the tournament has provided an opportunity for so many young women athletes to pursue their dreams of playing professional golf and more.”

Mary Smith, Chief Operating Officer of Four Winds Casinos added, “The Four Winds Invitational has become a cherished tradition and there’s a profound sense of pride in giving back for 14 incredible years.  We would like to thank everyone who was involved in supporting the tournament and helped to make this donation possible including the LPGA Epson Tour, South Bend Country Club and its members, our sponsors, volunteers, vendors as well as our Four Winds Casinos employees.”

Jen Tonkovich, Director of Women and Children’s Services for Beacon Health System said, “We are very thankful for our long-term partnership with the Pokagon Band, its Four Winds Casinos, and all of the donors that have generously supported the Four Winds Invitational over the years.  This shared passion for helping others continues to make a significant difference in our efforts to provide the best possible healthcare.”

The Four Winds Invitational is part of the Epson Tour, which entered its 45^th year of structured competition in 2025 and is the most established women’s qualifying tour in the world as the one “Road to the LPGA.”

About the Four Winds Invitational
The Four Winds® Invitational was established in 2012 as part of the Road to the LPGA® and is sponsored by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians and its Four Winds® Casinos.  The tournament features a field of professional women golfers from around the world.  More information is available at:  http://fourwindsinvitational.com/.

About The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians of Michigan and Indiana
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi’s sovereignty was reaffirmed under legislation signed into law by President Clinton in September of 1994.  The Pokagon Band is dedicated to providing community development initiatives such as housing, education, family services, medical care, and cultural preservation for its more than 6,400 citizens.  The Pokagon Band’s ten-county service area includes four counties in Southwestern Michigan and six in Northern Indiana.  Its main administrative offices are located in Dowagiac, Mich., with a satellite office in South Bend, Ind.  In 2007, it opened Four Winds Casino Resort in New Buffalo, Mich., followed by Four Winds Hartford in 2011, Four Winds Dowagiac in 2013 and Four Winds South Bend in 2018.  The Pokagon Band operates a variety of non-gaming businesses through its investment enterprises, Mno-Bmadsen and the Pokagon Development Authority.  More information is available at www.pokagonband-nsn.gov, www.fourwindscasino.com and www.mno-bmadsen.com.

About the Epson Tour
The Epson Tour is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour and enters its 45th competitive season in 2025.  With the support of entitlement partner Seiko Epson Corporation, the Tour’s mission is to prepare the world’s best female professional golfers for a successful career on the LPGA Tour.  In the last decade, the Epson Tour has grown from 15 tournaments and $1.6 million in prize money to $5 million awarded across 20 events in 2025.  In all, 402 LPGA Tour titles have been won by Epson Tour alumni, including 49 major championships.  Follow the Epson Tour at www.epsontour.com, as well as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

From left to right: Ryann DeMoss, Senior Major Gift Officer, Beacon Health Foundation; Susan King, President, Beacon Health Foundation; Larry Tracy, President, Memorial Hospital of South Bend; Scott Brewer, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Community Relations/Security for Four Winds Casinos; Matthew Wesaw, Chairman of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians which owns and operates Four Winds Casinos; Mary Smith, Chief Operating Officer, Four Winds Casinos; Jen Tonkovich, Director of Women and Children’s Services for Beacon Health System; Greg Helmkamp, Head Golf Professional, South Bend Country Club; Raquel Buari, Executive Vice President of Administration, Four Winds Casinos; Jenna Brewer, Vice President of Marketing, Four Winds Casinos; Tiana Burgeson, Director of Marketing, Four Winds Casinos

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Media Contact:
David Gutierrez for the Pokagon Band and its Four Winds Casinos, (312) 780-7204, dgutierrez@dresnerco.com