Sioux Empire United Way celebrated a successful fundraising campaign at their annual Thank You Event.
The 2022 Campaign total is $10,057,454 on a goal of $10,050,622.
Seven hundred area businesses and more than 21,000 individual givers supported Sioux Empire United Way’s 2022 Campaign. The dollars raised during this year’s campaign will fund 85 different programs that help children, vulnerable adults and people in crisis.
“This campaign was fun, in that we returned to some of the activities that we missed in the previous year. Chili feeds, pie-in-the-face, hearing from our funded agencies in-person, and celebrating over lunch. At the same time, this has not always been an easy campaign. Our volunteers had to work hard to overcome challenges and exceed this year’s campaign,” said Brian Bird, Volunteer Campaign Chair.
During the event, awards were also presented to several individuals and organizations for outstanding community and United Way leadership:
Larry Oppold Memorial Award – given to a human service professional for outstanding dedication to his or her work. – Julie Becker, St. Francis House
Helen E. (Oppold) Blair Memorial Award – given to an individual whose work in human services, law enforcement, education, or church based fields towards child abuse prevention and early intervention is exemplary. – Leslie Crevier, Child’s Voice
Brent Weiler Bulldog Award – given to a Team 2 Sioux Empire United Way volunteer who has shown determination and persistence in working with small business to achieve campaign success. – Luke Tibbetts, First PREMIER Bank/PREMIER Bankcard
Rich Garry Rookie of the Year – given to a first-time Sioux Empire United Way volunteer who has stepped up and made a tremendous impact in their role, helping to fulfill the mission of Sioux Empire United Way. – Nancy Tapken, South Dakota Historical Society Foundation
Volunteer of the Year – given to a Sioux Empire United Way volunteer who selflessly and generously gives of his or her time and talents to help fulfill the mission of the Sioux Empire United Way. – Krista May, Infrastructure Design Group
Heart Club Philanthropist of the Year – given to a Heart Club member, who has demonstrated active involvement, and has also encouraged or influenced others to contribute. – Troy Holt, Five Star Call Centers
David Birkeland Memorial Award – given to the business or professional leader who most exemplifies David Birkeland’s involvement in our community. – Catherine Forsch, South Dakota Historical Society Foundation
Business of the Year Award - given to the company or organization that has greatly benefited United Way through its generosity and/or its employees’ involvement. Three awards may be presented each year. – Diamond Mowers, Furniture Mart USA, and Sanford Health.
To see more about this year's event, visit www.seuw.org/thank-you-event