Shakopee, MN - The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community announced today that it has awarded donations totaling $85,000 to six charitable medical organizations.

SMSC Chairman Stanley Crooks said, "These organizations provide a valuable service to the people who suffer from these diseases. Medical research is important to all people, and I'm glad that we are able to help."

The SMSC donated $25,000 to the American Diabetes Association for education to target Native Americans in Minnesota and for research. A $20,000 donation to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International is for general research. JDRF is committed to finding a cure for the disease that afflicts more than 21 million men, women, and children, killing one American every three minutes. Diabetes is four to eight times more prevalent and mortality rates 166% higher for Native Americans than in the general population.

"We are so thankful for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community's on-going support of the American Diabetes Association. This generous contribution of $25,000 to fund research, education, and outreach to Native Americas is vital to working toward our mission. That mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes," wrote ADA Executive Director Jenni Hargraves in a thank you letter.

A grant for $25,000 to the University of Minnesota Cancer Center will fund research to find new therapies to change outcomes for cancer patients, improve quality of life, and prevent cancer. Preference with these funds is given to novel therapies and clinical trials as well as the study of health disparities within outreach programs and access.

A $5,000 donation made during Breast Cancer Awareness Month to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization will support education, research, screening, treatment, and fundraising, with 75% of the funds to remain in Minnesota. The SMSC also provided mammograms using their Mobile Clinic at a Susan G. Komen for the Cure event in northern Minnesota.

A $5,000 grant to Hennepin County Medical Center will fund emergency social service needs like food and bus tokens for American Indian families with loved ones receiving medical treatment there.

A $5,000 grant to the University of Minnesota Department of Surgery will fund a study entitled "Oxygen Transport Rate as an Index of Stored Blood Quality." The study is looking at a new way to approach blood donations and blood transfusions based on the oxygen transport rate with the goal of fewer blood transfusions in critical situations as well as longer storage and availability of red blood cell packs, increasing blood availability and efficacy and a decrease in costs.