JUNE 26, 2023:
The South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation presented a donation to Feeding South Dakota during the Prime Time Gala held over the weekend (June 24, 2023).
The donation was $332,110, making the overall donation to Feeding South Dakota $2,416,422 over the past 10 years.
“From the bottom of my heart, I’d like to say thank you to each and every supporter of this year’s Prime Time Gala,” said Ryan Eichler, President of the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation. “Reflecting on the 10th annual event has left me speechless and humbled. To see the beef industry come together and give like they did Saturday night is a testament to how selfless and kind our friends and neighbors are. The impact of delivering beef to South Dakotans, as well as the investment in the education of the next generation, is profound and something every attendee and sponsor is directly responsible for.”
Of the 12.9 million pounds of food that Feeding South Dakota distributed last year, just over 12% is animal protein. High quality protein, like beef, plays an important role in overall health, including weight control, by increasing satiety and helping to build and maintain muscle mass. Prior to Saturday night’s donation, funds raised at the Prime Time Gala have helped to purchase 1,377,053 pounds of beef for those that need it the most across South Dakota. That’s nearly 688 tons of beef that have been distributed across all 66 counties in South Dakota.
“We are incredibly grateful for a decade of support from the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation,” said Lori Dykstra, CEO of Feeding South Dakota. “Without these annual donations we would not have been able to provide the nearly one and half million pounds of beef that those facing hunger in our state need for healthy diets. These
producers are truly neighbors supporting neighbors which is critical to helping achieve our mission to end hunger in South Dakota.”
During the Prime Time Gala, a total of $15,000 in scholarships were awarded to five students attending South Dakota schools who are interested in the improvement of beef production and promotion to aid in their education. This year’s scholarship winners included:
- $1,000 – Brooklyn Mettler – Menno, South Dakota
- $2,000 – Colt Wilkinson – De Smet, South Dakota
- $3,000 – Teigen Hadrick – Faulkton, South Dakota
- $4,000 – Isabelle Mairose – Kimball, South Dakota
- $5,000 – Ella Stiefvater – Salem, South Dakota
Courtesy photo.
The Fed Cattle Challenge winners were also announced. The goal of this program is to help develop the next generation of feed yard owners and managers in our state. The Fed Cattle Challenge provided an opportunity for youth, ages 14 to 18, to learn about the science and economics of finishing cattle by participating in a cattle finishing program. Those youth that were:
- $500 – Dylan Fouss – Draper, South Dakota
- $1,000 – Harper Kirsch – Platte, South Dakota
- $1,500 – Tayden Mathis – Winner, South Dakota
Before dinner guests departed for the Alabama concert featuring Drew Green, the gala concluded with a Billion Chevrolet of Sioux Falls truck raffle drawing. Exactly 1,000 tickets were sold this year for a chance to win a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Duramax Crew Cab 4WD LT. The lucky winner of the truck is Casey Nilsson of Warner.
JUNE 21, 2023:
Saturday’s (June 24, 2023) South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation Prime Time Gala & Concert will feature entertainment by country music group Alabama, along with up-and-coming country music singer, Drew Green. During the night’s festivities, a six-figure donation will be presented to Feeding South Dakota to be used to provide additional protein for those throughout the state that are food insecure.
Since hosting the first Prime Time Gala & Concert in June 2014, the Foundation has raised over $2 million ($2,084,312) for Feeding South Dakota. Funds raised at the event have helped to purchase and distribute over 1.36 million (1,360,621) pounds of beef throughout all 66 counties in the state.
Feeding South Dakota says one out of nine individuals in this state are food insecure and only about 10% of the 17.7 million pounds of food they distribute on an annual basis is protein. A portion of the proceeds from the concert, as well as the auction and raffle at the Prime Time Gala, will directly benefit Feeding South Dakota.
The banquet and concert will be held at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center (1201 N. West Avenue) in Sioux Falls.
Find more information and a link to purchase concert tickets on the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation website.
Prime Time Gala schedule:
- 4:00PM – 5:30PM | Guest Check-in + Social
- 5:30PM – 7:30PM | Prime Time Gala
- 7:45PM – 8:15PM | Drew Green
- 8:35PM – 8:40PM | Check Presentation to Feeding South Dakota
- 8:45PM – 10:15PM | Alabama
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