SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — On Saturday night during the Prime Time Gala, the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation presented
a donation to Feeding South Dakota, on-stage at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, in the amount of $332,110. This
makes the overall donation to Feeding South Dakota $2,416,422 in the last 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
Saturday night, 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 awarded included:
- $500 – Tayden Mathis – Winner, South Dakota
- $1,000 – Dylan Fouss – Draper, South Dakota
- $1,500 – Harper Kirsch – Platte, 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, South Dakota.
The 11th Annual Prime Time Gala + Concert will be held Saturday, June 22, 2024 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center and
Denny Sanford PREMIER Center. Additional details about next year’s Prime Time Gala will be available soon on
sdcattlemensfoundation.com.