FY 21-22 Community Grants

The mission of the All Saints Neighborhood Association (ASNA) is to foster a safe, happy and beautiful neighborhood.

The Community Foundation grant will provide support for the ASNA’s Lyon Park Picnic Table Commissions Project, an original public art collaboration between the Sioux Falls Parks & Recreation Department, the All Saints Neighborhood, Norberg Paints and four local artists who call the neighborhood home.

Artists Geneva Costa, Zach Deboer, Molly O'Connor and Jennifer White will each paint one of the park’s picnic tables using their unique perspectives from the neighborhood and/or park as inspiration. DeBoer will execute his piece during the neighborhood’s National Night Out block party on Tuesday, Aug. 2. Neighbors will be invited to paint alongside him.

The goal of the Picnic Table Commission Project is to enhance creative placemaking in the park by lifting up the talent and creativity of the neighborhood's resident artists, while also collaborating with the Parks & Recreation Department on a new, impermanent public art opportunity.

Founded in 2015 as an emergency shelter for those facing homelessness and poverty, the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House serves guests during the day and overnight, offering dignity, respect and a safe and caring environment.

The House’s day services are open to the public and include restroom and shower facilities, as well as access to free laundry, lunch and refreshments, computers, telephones, and newspapers.

With a goal to help guests move from homelessness to self-sufficiency, Bishop Dudley Hospitality House case managers help guests obtain essential identification, such as social security cards and birth certificates. They also help guests complete job applications, prepare for employment interviews and find housing.

The organization also collaborates with many other nonprofits and agencies to connect guests with resources and services including, mental health and addiction counseling, veteran's services, labor and sex trafficking awareness, medical needs and haircuts.

Established with a mission to offer “Open Doors and Open Arms,” much has changed since the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House opened its doors in 2015. Homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction, and major mental health challenges have become more acute and more complex, with the pandemic only exacerbating circumstances for many who are struggling. Increasingly, guests are coming to the shelter with significant medical conditions and major mental health challenge.

In response to these changing circumstances, the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House is embarking on a new strategic plan.

The Foundation’s grant will provide support to help develop the new plan, which will guide the organization as it continues to care for our community’s most vulnerable individuals.

Incorporated in 2016, Call to Freedom is an anti-human trafficking agency that provides supportive services to victims of human trafficking and exploitation. The nonprofit primarily services sex and labor trafficking victims in the metro Sioux Falls area but also receives referrals from across the state and nation. The organization averages eight new client referrals per week.

The mission of Call to Freedom is to help navigate a path from victim to survivor through victim-centered responsive services. Its vision is to create a cohesive community model of care and support for victims, bringing communities together while educating and advocating to stop human trafficking.

The Foundation’s grant will support an upcoming training of Set Me Free’s READY To Stand curriculum, a prevention tool to educate youth on human trafficking. The goal of the training is to ensure more awareness and prevention to youth about human trafficking and to prepare trainers to present in Sioux Falls area schools and teach on what human trafficking is and how to recognize it.

A program of the Presentation Sisters, the mission of Caminando Juntos is to support the Latino population in Sioux Falls by providing case management, immigration legal services, reunifying unaccompanied minors with families and teaching English.

The Community Foundation grant will provide support for two Caminando Juntos programs — a GED course taught in Spanish and a support group for newly arrived immigrant students.

• GED Course: For this effort, certified and bilingual math and science teachers will utilize a combination of online and printed resources to prepare students for the GED exam. Students will be referred to the program by the Sioux Falls School District.
  
  Over the course of 12-16 weeks, students will learn the necessary math, science and English content to pass the GED exam, which is given in English at a local testing center. From there, students will then take the test privately, by appointment, with the testing center.

• Bilingual Teen Support Group for Newly Arrived Immigrants: Designed for Spanish-speaking youth between the ages of 12-17 who have newly immigrated to the U.S. and are new to the culture, language and school system, this 16-week program will cover mental health topics such as healthy coping mechanisms, grief, adjusting to change, culture shock, family separation, loneliness, depression, childhood trauma and general wellness strategies. Led by Karen Dreier, a bilingual, certified mental health practitioner, the program will also involve parents and will help parents or caregivers (who may be extended family members) learn how to support their teens and communicate healthily.
  
  The Sioux Falls School District will refer Spanish-speaking students who are new to the country, who do not yet speak English and who are separated from parents or family members in their home countries and are struggling to adjust to a new way of life.

Established in 2020 by a group of community members with a vision for a lively, fun, weekly community gathering during the summer months, the Canton Open Air Market aims to support local artists, food producers, musicians, and non-profit groups while at the same time be a place where friends, neighbors, and community members can meet and enjoy all the Market has to offer. The Market is held in Jack Fox Park from 5-7 p.m. each Thursday from June through August. Food trucks and musicians are present each week and vendor wares include fresh vegetables, honey, clothing, handmade cards, coffee, jewelry, baked goods, teas, photography, sewed items, flowers, spa products, eggs, and more.

The Foundation grant will support the Market as it seeks to apply for its 501c6 status, buy insurance, and purchase a tent for the stage in the park.

With a mission to stop all maltreatment against South Dakota children in order to foster resilient families, the Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment collaborates with Sanford Child's Voice and the Unified Judicial System (UJS) Court Improvement Program (CIP) to host a hybrid conference for professionals responding to and preventing child abuse. This annual multi-disciplinary conference provides opportunities for continuing education, networking, learning, and collaboration for those who work to prevent and respond to child maltreatment including medical professionals, educators, social workers, therapists, law enforcement, attorneys and community representatives.

The Foundation grant helped support the 2021 Community Response to Child Abuse Conference, held on September 29-30, for approximately 700 attendees from across the State of South Dakota.

Founded in 2005 by National Master Elliott Neff, the mission of Chess4Life is to teach life skills through the game of Chess to one million children per week. Students who participate learn perseverance through adversity, the payoff of consistent effort, and the priceless feeling of earned achievement. Additionally, through the game, chess players learn the importance of sportsmanship, build complex problem solving skills, develop patience, and understand how to learn from mistakes without giving up.

The Foundation’s grant will help create a Chess Program at the Sioux Falls Juvenile Detention Center. Each youth who enters the facility will be introduced to Chess and, as a result, will benefit from the related skills the game teaches — how to carefully think through one's actions, how those actions impact your future, and how those actions impact your opponent. Through learning the game of Chess, youth at the Juvenile Detention Center will also have opportunities to practice good sportsmanship, to admit mistakes and learn from them, to build confidence, and to develop creative problem solving skills.

EcoSun Prairie Farms, Inc. works to promote the ecological, aesthetic, historical and economic benefits of tall grass prairie through education, research, public outreach, and the development of healthy prairie.

Most recently, EcoSun successfully completed the first year of a multi-phased project to restore tall grass prairie on 106 acres inside Good Earth State Park.

The Foundation’s grant will help support additional phases of the project. Phase two includes offering formal educational and outreach components as well as informal tours/hikes. Phase three features the development of a physical Prairie Center for research and expanded education and outreach opportunities.

When complete, EcoSun's tall grass prairie will provide one of the only sizeable and accessible prairies near any metro community across an area where tall grass prairie once flourished, an eco-region that, at one time, stretched from Ohio to South Dakota, and from Minnesota and Wisconsin to Missouri. Learn more.

With a mission to empower women and families, EmBe strives to be a place where women excel, where children and youth thrive, where families succeed and where the community is enriched by its work.

Girls on the Run has been a signature EmBe program for more than 15 years, having served more than 15,000 third through fifth grade girls across South Dakota, southwest Minnesota and northwest Iowa during two 10-week seasons each year. Throughout each season, volunteer coaches guide participants through an interactive, evidence-based curriculum that teaches self-confidence, shows how to foster healthy friendships, and illustrates the importance of teamwork. The program also shows girls how they can give back to their community and world. The skills are taught through interactive running games that emphasize physical health and wellness.

The Foundation’s grant provided support for national training that will help local staff connect with, train and support hundreds of future Girls on the Run volunteer coaches.

Founded in 2018, Faith Through Frames offers free framed portraits to families and neighbors in need, as well as photo ID cards, developed in collaboration with Feeding South Dakota, to help individuals access mobile food pantry distributions. In order to reach those most in need, Faith Through Frames partners with Church on the Street and Peace Lutheran Church’s Necessities for Neighbors program. To date, Faith Through Frames has captured and shared more than 1,000 portraits.

The organization’s mission is to treat every family/individual with dignity and to provide a professional photo shoot experience.

The Foundation’s grant will provide support for Faith Through Frames as it continues its presence in downtown Sioux Falls with a portrait studio serving those in need. The organization’s goal is to double the number of portraits taken this year.

Founded in 2011, Friends of the Big Sioux River focuses on water quality monitoring, public policy and advocacy, river restoration and education in an effort to protect and restore the Big Sioux River and its watershed communities. The organization's vision is to restore and ensure the health of the Big Sioux River watershed and promote the environmental, recreational and economic benefits of the river.

The Foundation's grant will support a project to map and photograph the Big Sioux River Watershed. Data from the project will help bring awareness to the organization's work to restore and ensure the continued health of the river. Learn more.

With a mission to create and advocate for diversity and inclusion in cinema, and to educate on the topic of diversity, the Hazard Film Project is a nonprofit organization that provides avenues for filmmakers to tell stories of marginalized groups and socially relevant topics in an effort to help facilitate difficult conversations.

The Foundation’s grant will help support the organizations upcoming Red Carpet Premiere Fundraiser, set for Tuesday, May 10, at the Sioux Falls State Theatre. The event will feature episodes from “The Black Project,” “Black & Blue,” a short documentary on Julian Beaudion, and a short narrative film titled “Hazard,” funded in part by the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation.

The event will also include a panel discussion on racial identity/experience in Sioux Falls moderated by social justice and diversity educators Harriet Yocum and Sara Crosby.

The mission of Headlights Theater is to transform bleak parking lots into magical landscapes for live music and dance performances.

Founded during the pandemic, the organization’s goal is to expand and uplift the local arts community while educating, entertaining, inspiring and protecting our general public.

Along with live performances, in its 2021 season the organization introduced The Headlights Residency, an effort that engages experienced and aspiring dancers in more intimate and inspirational ways, strengthening our area’s growing dance community.

The Foundation’s grant will help support Headlights’ 2022 season, will help the organization provide scholarships for its summer residences, and will advance a goal to create free dance events in partnership with the Boys and Girl Club, Move to Heal, 1st Gen, and other community centers.

Founded in 1974 by Fern Chamberlain, the Helpline Center is designed as the first point of contact for individuals in the Sioux Falls area who need help. The mission of the Helpline Center is "making lives better by giving support, offering hope and creating connections all day, every day."

The Foundation grant supported the Compassion Project, an effort led by the Helpline Center to create a sculpture that inspires compassion in our community.

The inspiration for the sculpture is Fern Chamberlain, a woman “who irrevocably changed the face of our community for the better. At her core she was compassionate, and time and time again she was motivated to step forward to lessen the suffering in our community,” wrote Janet Kittams, chief executive officer of the Helpline Center. Chamberlain played a role in starting multiple core non-profit organizations in our community, including the Helpline Center, Active Generations and the food pantry at Feeding South Dakota. She also led the charge in creating a pathway to success for those less fortunate by speaking up and speaking out for those whose voices are not often heard. She touched thousands of lives through her life and her legacy continues to impact countless others.

The Helpline Center serves thousands of people throughout South Dakota every year by connecting individuals to resources and support, providing referrals, uniting people with volunteer opportunities, offering hope to individuals with thoughts of suicide, and supporting families bereaved by a suicide loss. The mission of the Helpline Center is to make lives better by giving support, offering hope and creating connections all day, every day. The organization fulfills its mission through three core service areas: 211 Helpline, Suicide & Crisis Support and Volunteer Connections.

The Helpline Center also organizes The Nonprofit Exchange, a monthly educational meeting designed for nonprofits to hear from other area nonprofits. Virtual and in-person meetings include thought-provoking programs and create opportunities for attendees to exchange ideas, create connections and further their education on topics that impact their organizations.

The Foundation’s grant will provide support for The Nonprofit Exchange to offer enhanced in-person sessions each quarter. These sessions will feature professional speakers on topics such as staff retention, communication, office culture, DEI and more.

Established in 1985, the Indian Education Parent Committee works in collaboration with the School District’s Office of Indian Education to serve all Native students and families in the Sioux Falls School District. Its programs are designed to empower students and increase their success through a rigorous curriculum and by connecting them to their schools, their histories, and their culture.

The Committee sponsors a series of events each year to help bring students and families together with the Sioux Falls School District to promote family engagement, build community and help increase graduation rates among Indigenous students.

The Foundation’s grant will support the Committee’s upcoming Graduation Honoring Ceremony celebrating 82 students who have completed high school or obtained a GED. The ceremony will feature speakers, a drum group, dancers, a star quilt presentation and food. Learn more.

With a mission to build community through music, Levitt at the Falls serves as a gathering place for our diverse community, fosters social interactions among people of all ages and backgrounds, and ensures access to professional performing arts for everyone through free concerts featuring acclaimed artists in a wide range of music genres each summer.

The Foundation’s grant will support the Levitt’s newest initiative, Innoskate Sioux Falls, a five-day festival that celebrates and explores music, skateboarding, invention, creativity, and freedom of expression. The festival is developed in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution's Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra (SJMO), and the USA Skateboarding Federation (USA Olympic team).

Members of the Oglala Lakota tribe are actively involved in the planning of the Innoskate festival as well. Workshops for youth involved in skateboarding and music programs in Pine Ridge will be held on July 5. That group of youth will then travel to Sioux Falls to participate in the weekend programming and be featured in a skateboarding demonstration. Tribal leaders will also be featured in a public education session that explores the positive impact skateboarding has on the reservation.

Lost&Found aims to do more to eliminate suicide among young adults by facilitating comprehensive, data-driven, resilience-focused, public mental health strategies for suicide prevention.

The Community Foundation grant will provide support for Lost&Found’s Mental Health 101 program, an effort to redevelop and expand the L&F Advocates program to a younger audience (15 to 18 years old).

Topics of Mental Health 101 will specifically include definitions of mental health, understanding what affects mental health, setting healthy boundaries, navigating relationships, time management skills, the importance of self-care, emotion-focused and problem-focused coping skills, how to recognize your mental health and well-being, how to have conversations about mental health, and knowledge of mental health resources available to help (e.g. the Helpline Center).

Mental health education is especially important for youth and young adults as they mature into adults and navigate college and the workforce. It is more important now than ever — just last month, South Dakota Suicide Prevention reported 198 suicide deaths among South Dakotans in 2021, the highest since tracking began. Suicide is now the leading cause of death in South Dakota for 10-19 year-olds.

The curriculum being developed for Mental Health 101 is crucial for helping parents, teachers and communities manage the distress many youth and young adults are facing in today's society. Youth and young adults need to better understand their own mental health in order to take steps to improve their well-being.

Introduction of the program will involve partnering with South Dakota high schools, technical colleges and freshman orientation programs/activities beginning this fall and next spring. Learn more.

Established in 1997 to meet the needs of a growing diverse population in the Sioux Falls community, the mission of the Multi-Cultural Center is to provide experiences and services for all people to learn, celebrate and share through our community’s cultural diversity.

The Multi-Cultural Center aims to reach all ethnically diverse groups with information and services that bring us together. To that end, it organizes support and outreach for the local immigrant and refugee populations, including translation services and workforce development programming.

The Foundation’s grant will provide support for the Multi-Cultural Center’s new community engagement initiative, an effort that seeks to build trusted relationships throughout the City’s varied ethnic communities and build cultural and diversity understanding and knowledge throughout the community.

On Tuesday, January 25, 2022, South Dakota will conduct the Annual Point-In-Time Homeless (PIT) Count and Housing Inventory Chart (HIC). These activities are required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as part of the Continuum of Care Program. The information is reported to Congress and is used for measuring progress, identifying strengths and gaps in services, increasing public awareness and enhancing system planning.

The Point-in-Time Counts are counts of the number of people in a community who are homeless and are staying in an emergency shelter or in a transitional housing program dedicated to homeless; staying in a motel/hotel that is being paid for by a governmental entity or charitable organization assisting homeless; or sleeping outside, in cars, tents, in places not meant for human habitation.

The Count is not perfect and doesn’t tell us everything about needs, but it does provide valuable information as to the scope of homelessness, including demonstrating unmet need represented by the number of unsheltered people.

The Foundation issued a grant to provide bus passes to encourage participation in the Point-in-Time Count.

A nationally accredited Child Advocacy Center, Child’s Voice is a program of Sanford USD Medical Center. The program provides medical evaluations for children who may be victims of sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, medical child abuse, all types of neglect, drug endangerment, child trafficking and more.

The Foundation’s grant will provide support for operating expenses as the organization manages through increased demand for services amid a temporary decrease in federal funding.

With a vision for Sioux Falls to become a leading arts and cultural center where artists and art organizations are essential partners in economic development, the Sioux Falls Arts Council facilitates the arts and engages the community in discovering the value of the arts in day-to-day living.

The Foundation’s grant will support the Arts Council’s new Artist Micro Grant Program, an effort to fund 36 artists in the Sioux Falls MSA annually over a three-year period. This program will serve as a pilot program, with a long-term goal to establish the Arts Council as a granting organization in addition to its current services, which include advocating, connecting and collaborating for and with the arts community.

The grant will also assist the Arts Council as it works to grow its endowment held at the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation. In the future, annual distributions from that endowment will support the Artist Micro Grant Program. Learn more.

With a mission to bring world-class entertainment at affordable prices to the Sioux Falls community, Live on Stage Sioux Falls books artists through Live On Stage, Inc. of Nashville, Tennessee, and invites local artists to be a part of a concert series offered at the Washington Pavilion each year.

The organization, formerly known as the Sioux Falls Concerts Association, will celebrate its 90th season this year.

The Foundation grant will support Live on Stage Sioux Falls as it seeks to add a part time executive director to provide ongoing support to its volunteer board and to coordinate membership drives, ongoing work with sponsors and engagement efforts central to the organization’s success.

Developed to introduce organized soccer to central city neighborhoods where many elementary age children don't have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities, Sioux Falls Neighborhood Soccer aims to help end the opportunity gap for children by providing free access to organized sports that teach discipline, self-esteem, teamwork and sportsmanship in a fun, encouraging environment. The effort also hopes to build community in high-needs neighborhoods through engagement among families, children and volunteers.

The broad vision is to establish neighborhood-based leagues for girls and boys in areas corresponding to the Title I schools.

The Foundation grant will support the organization’s Riverside Soccer League. Held on consecutive Saturday mornings at Pioneer Park beginning Sept. 18 and concluding Oct. 30, these Saturday sessions begin at 9 a.m. with an hour of fundamental and skills training led by volunteers, followed by scrimmages. After that, families and children attending would be served a light lunch. Learn more.

The Foundation's grant will support the effort led by the Sioux Falls Skatepark Association to build a state-of-the-art concrete skatepark at Nelson Park, near Drake Springs Family Aquatic Center in Sioux Falls. Plans for the park, which will feature bowls, terraces and various levels to mimic the rock formations at Falls Park, were developed with input from community members as well as professional skateboarder Kanten Russell.

A non-profit organization dedicated to providing in-depth public service journalism, South Dakota News Watch illuminates the essential link between journalism and democracy. Since its founding in 2017, News Watch has produced hundreds of investigative news stories, shedding light on important statewide issues across all sectors, from agriculture to education, public safety, politics and more.

The Foundation’s grant will provide support as the organization works to advance its mission with the addition of a new investigative reporter, through its internship program, and through its state-wide polling efforts.

The grant brings the Community Foundation’s total charitable investment in South Dakota News Watch to $55,000 — an illustration of the Foundation’s commitment to invest in aspiring nonprofits who exhibit high potential to drive positive change and create meaningful social impact. Learn more.

The South Dakota Nonprofit Network was established with a core mission of offering long-term education, advocacy, and industry connections to create relevant and resilient nonprofit organizations across South Dakota.

South Dakota's nonprofits employ 14.8% of all workers in the state. These organizations play a critical role, serving some of the state’s most vulnerable populations. Unfortunately, the support for our nonprofit organizations is lacking in areas such as capacity building, facilitation, technical assistance and connection with other organizations.

The Foundation grant provides matching dollars towards Bush Foundation challenge grant that will help the Network offer unique support and services to Sioux Falls area nonprofits and others across the state.

Envisioning a South Dakota that is diverse, inclusive and anti-racist, South Dakota Voices for Peace (SDVFP) provides education, advocacy, legal service, civic engagement and rapid response programming and actions for immigrant, refugee and Muslim communities.

The Community Foundation grant will provide support for SDVFP’s Cohorts of Courage, an education and action-oriented networking program for educators, faith leaders and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) youth in South Dakota who want to learn to effectively respond to Islamophobia, racism and bigotry in their communities and workplaces.

Over the course of seven days, this community-based summer program will aim to build power in and inspire our next generation of change-makers. The goal is to strengthen the connections between organizations, civic leaders and youth by building partnerships on actions such as assisting with issues which profoundly impact BIPOC communities. Guest scholars in the fields of academia, public office, grass roots organizing and social change advocates will share strategies and best practices on how to develop solutions to issues identified by the youth advocates who are participating in the program.

At the completion of the program, youth advocates will share their learnings, engage in discussion with the greater public to address their hopes and concerns, and lay the foundation for a sustainable future of understanding, collaboration and coalition.

Founded in 1977, South Dakota Urban Indian Health is a Native-led organization providing primary care, behavioral health and cultural health services in Sioux Falls and Pierre. Patients represent all walks of life, but programs and services are designed to support Indigenous South Dakotans living in these urban communities. South Dakota Urban Indian Health's mission is to provide total quality medical care for Native American people and the economically disadvantaged residing in urban areas of South Dakota. Care provided is not limited to just the medical needs but to provide holistic quality care for the entire family.

The Community Foundation grant will provide support for Urban Indian Health’s 2022 Two-Spirit Powwow, an event organized in partnership with Sioux Falls Pride, the Transformation Project and the Multi-Cultural Center and set for Thursday, June 16, during Sioux Falls Pride week.

Designed as a way to honor Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ relatives, and to help create a safe place for Indigenous community members to connect, the event will feature a traditional drum group, traditional dancers, concessions, resources and artist tables.

The 2022 Two-Spirit Powwow is being hosted by the Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ group from South Dakota Urban Indian Health, dedicated to creating opportunities for cultural practices and empowering activities, and to fostering discussion for this marginalized community.

Dedicated to exposing human rights violations, representing immigrants and refugees who are victims of human rights abuses, training and assisting groups that protect human rights, and using advocacy, research and education to engage the public in human rights work, the Advocates for Human Rights is the primary provider of free legal services for asylum seekers in the Upper Midwest. The organization has more than 350 open asylum or asylum related cases.

The Foundation’s grant will support a new initiative aimed at expanding access to legal supports for immigrants and building capacity of local attorneys and social service providers to manage complex cases and respond to heightened needs of asylum seekers and unaccompanied immigrant children.

The Exilic Community in U.S.A. was founded in August 2021 to serve newcomers to the Sioux Falls area. Through various educational and outreach initiatives, the organization aims to help immigrants assimilate to their new surroundings and become involved in the community around them.

The Foundation’s grant will support a new series of classes and workshops designed to help immigrants thrive amid a new culture and within in their new community.

With a mission to help people live healthy and fulfilling lives, Volunteers of America, Dakotas, guides people with behavioral health needs, supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, strengthens those struggling with homelessness, and uplifts children, youth and families.

The Foundation’s grant will support Camp POSTCARD, an effort designed to help at-risk youth and law enforcement officials build positive, trusting and respectful relationships. The Community Foundation grant provides support to pilot this project for the first three years. The grant will also help with long-term sustainability by allowing Volunteers of America, Dakotas, to collect important evaluation data. Learn more about Camp POSTCARD.

The Warrior Wrestling Club’s Wrestling Camp will offer students in kindergarten through sixth grade the chance to learn about and build skills in wrestling. The camp will be led by coaches from Washington High School and Whittier Middle School.

The Foundation’s grant will enable the Wrestling Club to offer scholarships for campers, along with wrestling gear and transportation for those who need it.

Organizers say the camp’s goal is to eliminate all hurdles for students to participate in wrestling and to help grow middle and high school wrestling programs by helping kids build skills and develop experience in the sport.

The Woody Williams Foundation pursues specific endeavors and goals through the vision of Medal of Honor recipient Hershel "Woody" Williams, one of which is the establishment of permanent Gold Star Families Memorial Monuments in communities throughout the United States.

Gold Star Family Monuments have been dedicated in 43 states. South Dakota is one of seven remaining states without a monument that honors, recognizes and serves Gold Star Families who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to preserve the freedoms we enjoy as Americans.

The Foundation’s grant will support an effort led by a local volunteer committee to build a Gold Star Family Memorial Monument at Veteran's Memorial Park, located at 1021 West Bailey Street in Sioux Falls.

The memorial monument will honor local Gold Star Families and provide a permanent place for local Gold Star Family outreach events.

The Foundation’s grant will support a study to explore the operational feasibility and potential economic impact of a possible formal partnership between the Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum of Natural History and the Butterfly House & Aquarium. Learn more about the grant and its impact.