ATMORE, Ala.-On March 3, the deadliest tornado to hit the United States in nearly six years struck Lee County, Alabama, killing 23 people, aged 6 to 89.

The Poarch Band of Creek Indians, the only federally recognized tribe in Alabama, volunteered to split the funeral costs with another donor, expecting to give $50,000. When the other donor backed out of the arrangement, the tribe stepped up to donate $184,000 to cover all costs for all victims.

In late January, the Poarch Creek Indian Tribe also donated $100,000 to the Elmore County Disaster Relief Fund to assist residents rebuilding in the City of Wetumpka and other parts of Elmore County who were directly affected by the January 19, 2019 tornado. The donation was part of the Tribe's ongoing Planned Giving Campaign.

Tribal Chair and CEO Stephanie A. Bryan said, "Our Tribe is committed to doing what we can to help our neighbors in times of need."

The Poarch Creek Indians are descendants of a segment of the original Creek Nation, which once covered most of Alabama and Georgia. Unlike many eastern Indian tribes, the Poarch Creeks were not removed from their tribal lands and have lived together for almost 200 years in and around the reservation in Poarch, Alabama. The reservation is located eight miles northwest of Atmore, Alabama, in rural Escambia County, and 57 miles east of Mobile.

The Poarch Band of Creek Indians is the only federally recognized Indian Tribe in the state of Alabama, operating as a sovereign nation with its own system of government and bylaws. The Tribe operates a variety of economic enterprises, which employ hundreds of area residents. The Tribe's Planned Giving Campaign includes significant donations to local schools, education scholarships, senior centers, youth athletics, and charitable organizations.