Cattlemen’s Foundation Donates $332,110 Check to Feeding South Dakota

The total number of dollars the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation has donated to Feeding South Dakota now tips the scales at over $2.4M. Their latest contribution — a check for $332,110 — was delivered onstage during their 10th Annual Prime Time Gala at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls on Saturday night, June 24.
 

“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,” Ryan Eichler, president of the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation, said. “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.” 

According to the foundation, just over 12 percent of the 12.9 million pounds of food Feeding South Dakota distributed last year, was 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 helped to purchase 1,377,053 pounds of beef for those across South Dakota that need it the most. That’s nearly 688 tons of beef that have been shared across all 66 counties in South Dakota. 

“We are incredibly grateful for a decade of support from the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation,” Lori Dykstra, CEO of Feeding South Dakota, said. “Without these annual donations, we would not have been able to provide the nearly 1.5 million pounds of beef that those facing hunger in our state need for a healthy diet. 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, scholarships totaling $15,000 were awarded to five students who attend South Dakota schools and are interested in the improvement of beef production and promotion.

Before dinner guests departed for the Alabama concert, the gala concluded with a drawing. Exactly 1,000 raffle tickets were sold this year for a chance to win a truck from Billion Chevrolet of Sioux Falls. Casey Nilsson of Warner was the lucky winner who drove home in the  2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Duramax Crew Cab 4WD LT.
The 11th Annual Prime Time Gala + Concert will be held Saturday, June 22, 2024.