Dan Jordan 
(RSBCIHI | Grand Terrace, CA) — Riverside–San Bernardino County Indian Health, Inc. is now accepting nominations for the 2025 Gilbert Toro Award, to be presented during the upcoming RSBCIHI Family Wellness Conference. The award ceremony will take place during the conference dinner on Saturday, November 22, 2025.
The Gilbert Toro Award honors a Native American family or individual from within the RSBCIHI consortium who exemplifies traditional family values, promotes a healthy lifestyle, and contributes positively to the community. Honorees are chosen for their dedication to family unity, community involvement, and commitment to cultural wellness.
The award is named in memory of Mr. Gilbert Toro, a respected member of the Torres-Martinez Band of Cahuilla Indians and a former RSBCIHI Board Member. Mr. Toro served more than two decades as a tribal representative and was deeply committed to supporting collaboration among Southern California’s tribal communities.
Mr. Toro often spoke about the importance of unity among tribes, saying, “Helping everybody — all the Tribes — is the best way to making things better.” He also reflected on the strength of family within Native culture, sharing,
“When an Indian baby is born, the child should feel its first love in the arms of its Mother. That love then grows through the strength of family and Tribal affection. Every family and Tribe has the ability to love through its strengths and weaknesses.”
Nominations are now open.
Community members are encouraged to nominate a deserving family or individual who embodies Mr. Toro’s spirit of service, unity, and compassion.
Completed nomination forms should be submitted to Judy Srisopa at:
San Manuel Clinic
11980 Mt. Vernon Ave, Grand Terrace, CA 92313
or via email at jsrisopa@rsbcihi.org.
The RSBCIHI Family Wellness Conference celebrates community, wellness, and the strength of Native families throughout the Riverside–San Bernardino region. The event is scheduled for November 21–23, 2025, at the Westin Rancho Mirage in Rancho Mirage, California.
