A community-minded organization helping to meet the needs of the Morongo Basin since 1947
About Us
Our History
Located in the heart of the beautiful Morongo Basin since 1947, the Sportsman's Club has raised money through its weekly and annual events to help many worthy causes in our area. In 1945, Commander Jeff Overbay and a group of Legionnaires started building a Legion Hall. Before it was completed, money and donated labor dwindled, and Jeff's health slowed him down.
The Sportsman's Club had started up at around the same time, and the American Legion offered to turn over the unfinished building to the Sportsman's Club for $1.00. The building was to be used for community affairs, and once the building was finished, it was the home of children's Christmas plays and town dances. Johnnie Arch and Elinore Fairbanks played music for the dances. When the elementary school outgrew its campus, the hall was used to house extra classrooms. The Playhouse Guild used also the hall as their Cabaret Theatre.
The Sportsman's Club grounds were also the site of the annual Turtle Days, which included the early days of the Gem Jamboree. The Sportsman's Club hosts the Annual Gem, Mineral, and Craft Show the first weekend in April and the first weekend in October every year, drawing vendors and visitors from around the world.