Whetstone Valley Electric Teams Up to Donate $20,000 to Local Organizations

Four area organizations started the 2021 New Year by receiving $5,000 each in grant money from Whetstone Valley Electric Cooperative (WVEC) and CoBank. Inter-Lakes Community Action Partnership, Grant County 4-H, the Milbank Community Foundation, and the Sisseton Area Foundation were chosen as the recipients. WVEC provided $2,500 for each entity, and CoBank matched that amount through its Sharing Success program.  

Whetstone Valley General Manager Dave Page said, “Cooperative members, along with the entire community, will receive a direct benefit from the money.” He continued, “The cooperative is fortunate to have a lending partner like CoBank that is equally committed to improving the quality of life for rural South Dakotans.”

Page, says, “There’s not a better way to stretch a dollar than to have it matched by an organization like CoBank whose goals, values and principles align with your own. I would say that anytime you can double your money, that’s a wise investment.”

According to Page, “It’s a real honor for us to have the ability to funnel financial resources directly back into the community we serve. Our hope is that these funds will go a long way toward not only helping those who are need but also helping to develop the leadership skills and abilities of our youth through various programs and initiatives that are already in place.”

Sarah Koepke, adviser for the Grant County 4-H Youth Program, says her group’s portion of the money will go toward constructing a $1.4 million youth development building. The planned structure will measure 180 by 80 feet and will house an indoor shooting sports facility and canine training program. She says the facility will also be used to hold community events.
 

Koepke says. “Right now we have to hold our shooting sports events on two separate nights. When we get this facility completed, we’ll be able to hold that event one night a week, which will require less effort and fewer volunteers. We just really need a place that all of the students in our project areas can call home.” 

Val Van Lith of Inter-Lakes Community Action Partnership plans to use the donation to support low-income families and senior citizens. ICAP helps pay rent, utilities, and other expenses. Part of the money will also support ICAP’s annual Christmas with a Cop and the Angel Tree project. 

“Our Christmas with a Cop event is something we enjoy each year where we identify 30 children who are in need and have them go around with policemen to local retailers and shop for Christmas gifts for their families. The law enforcement folks love doing it and the kids get to show their love and appreciation for the families by giving them a gift,” Van Lith said. “We had to change to a ‘pick-up’ format this year because of the coronavirus, but we achieved the same goal.”

The Sisseton Area Foundation is in partnership with the South Dakota Community Foundation (SDCF). It contributes to the statewide organization and receives grants back through the SDCF to support local projects.

According to Dennis Jensen, president of the Sisseton Area Foundation, the local group has invested in programs such as the Sisseton Rescue Squad, medical facilities, extended care facilities, food pantries, libraries, and public space landscaping. Jensen says the Sisseton Youth Baseball Association is also receiving support as it undergoes a major multi-phase reconstruction project that includes fields, bleachers, concession stands, and other facilities. Last year the foundation donated $2,500 to sponsor a dugout. 

Craig Wellnitz, finance director of the Milbank Community Foundation, says, “The donated funds will be folded into the organization’s 2021 fundraising campaign. Last year, the foundation received $198,000 in contributions and also received 17 requests from local agencies seeking assistance. Those included youth development, education, transit, health programs, and more.” 

CoBank, based in Denver, serves agribusiness and rural infrastructure interests across the country and in 2020 generated a record $10.2 million for rural, non-profit organizations through its Sharing Success program. “CoBank’s Sharing Success program allows us to tap into the extensive, local knowledge of our customers to identify organizations that are truly having a positive impact on rural America,” says Matt Hale, CoBank’s senior relationship manager for South Dakota and North Dakota. “Now more than ever, we are delighted to partner with organizations like Whetstone Valley Electric Cooperative to fulfill our mission of service and to make a difference for communities and people in need.” —