SOUTH BEND, IN--(Marketwire - Feb 22, 2013) - The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, owners of Four Winds Casinos®, the premier gaming destinations in the Midwest, are pleased to announce that proceeds from the second annual Four Winds Invitational will once again be donated to Memorial Children's Hospital™. Funds raised this year will be used to purchase a neonatal incubator transport unit for Memorial Children's Hospital's MedFlight helicopter program. The second annual Four Winds Invitational will feature a field of professional women golfers from around the world competing for the largest purse on the Symetra® Tour - Road to the LPGA. It will be held from Friday, June 21 through Sunday, June 23, 2013 at the Blackthorn Golf Club, located at 6100 Nimtz Parkway, South Bend, Ind.

"Last year, along with the support of several local sponsors, we raised $53,000 to support the purchase of a lifesaving pediatric ambulance, which will touch the lives of more than 500 critically ill and injured children each year," said Matt Wesaw, Chairman of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians. "We are extremely pleased that this year we will support the purchase of a neonatal incubator transport unit, which will further enhance Memorial Children's Hospital's ability to serve the community."

"We are honored to continue our relationship with the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians and its Four Winds Invitational, which had a tremendous impact on the community during its first year," says Phil Newbold, CEO, Beacon Health System, which is the parent organization of Memorial Children's Hospital. "The tournament is designed to give young women golfers the opportunity to grow in their sport. In the same way, a financial commitment of this kind will give young people throughout our region the chance to live healthier lives."

"Memorial Children's Hospital serves 22 referring hospitals across Northern Indiana and Southwestern Michigan, averaging 400 pediatric transports a year. With this kind of demand, comes a responsibility to provide the very highest level of care for our most critical patients," says Michaeleen Conlee, Senior Director of Women's and Children's Services at Memorial Children's Hospital. "When you look at all the new technology that we envision will go into this new air transport system, it will take us to a whole new level of providing care during the transport of critical patients."

Memorial Children's Hospital is the region's only designated children's hospital and welcomes and treats children with a wide variety of medical and surgical diagnoses from more than 20 referral hospitals throughout Southwestern Michigan and Northern Indiana. The world-class team includes pediatric hospitalists and intensivists, registered nurses, child life specialists, pediatric diabetic educators, pediatric dietitians, social workers, neonatologists, pediatric oncologists, respiratory therapists, clinical nurse specialists, pastoral care, and pediatric specialists in physical therapy, pulmonary medicine and infectious disease. More information is available at: www.qualityoflife.org/childrenshospital.

About the Four Winds Invitational
The Four Winds Invitational was established in 2012 as part of the Symetra® Tour - Road to the LPGA, and is sponsored by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians and its Four Winds Casinos®. It is held at Blackthorn Golf Club, located at 6100 Nimtz Parkway, South Bend, Ind. The tournament features a field of professional women golfers from around the world competing for a total prize of $150,000, making it the largest purse on the Symetra Tour. More information is available at: www.fourwindsinvitational.com.