South Dakota beef producers raise money for a good cause.

Amanda Radke

June 23, 2021

3 Min Read
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Prime Time Gala

On June 19, 1,600+ people gathered at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center to raise money for a good cause.

The annual Prime Time Gala, hosted by the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation, hosts a steak supper, auction, and country music concert to benefit Feeding South Dakota.

To date, the organization has purchased 1,112,412 lbs. of beef for the food insecure in our state. The 2021 event raised a whopping $253,827, which will be used to purchase beef for the food banks in South Dakota.

According to the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation, “Of the 15.4million lbs. of food that Feeding South Dakota distributes on an annual basis to all 66 counties in our state, only about 10% of that is 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.”

This annual event brings together the agricultural community, alongside local businesses, families and music lovers for a night of fun, generosity and doing good. Each year, I’m so proud of the individuals who put it on, and BEEF Magazine is a proud sponsor of this event.

This year’s concert featured Little Big Town and Tyler Farr. The Prime Time 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 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Duramax Crew Cab 4SWD LT. The lucky winner of the truck is Brandon Marlow of Sioux Falls, S.D.

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In addition to the fundraising events and evening celebrations, the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation also awards scholarships to area students.

A total of $15,000in scholarships were awarded to five students attending South Dakota schools interested in the improvement of beef production and promotion to aid in their education.

This year’s scholarship winners included:

•$1,000 - Brianna Duerre of Bristol, South Dakota
•$2,000 - Collin Powell of Chamberlain, South Dakota
•$3,000 - Ryder Mortenson of Winner, South Dakota
•$4,000 - Matthew Bogue of Beresford, South Dakota
•$5,000 - Danika Gordon of Whitewood, South Dakota

The organization also hosts a Fed Cattle Challenge each year. Winners of the challenge were also awarded during the evening festivities.

The goal of this program is to help develop the next generation of feed yard owners and managers in the 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 finishing program.

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Those youth that were awarded included:

•$500 - Reese Voorhees of Onida, South Dakota
•$1,000 - Matea Gordon of Whitewood, South Dakota
•$1,500 - Morgan Mackaben of Belle Fourche, South Dakota

Other highlights include an appearance by South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson. In the auction, a Michelle Weber original painting sold for $10,000.

“The South Dakota Cattlemen Foundation is completely humbled by the generosity of everyone involved in the 2021 2021 Prime Time Gala,” said Ryan Eichler, South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation president. “It was an atmosphere of genuine positivity and excitement. Gathering together after such tumultuous times in the name of giving was an unforgettable experience. The people that make up the beef industry in South Dakota can only be described as exceptional. We’d like to thank every sponsor and attendee for making the gala great. We are energized by this outpouring of support and can’t wait for June 18, 2022!”

Cheers to another exceptional event! This is truly advocacy in action in the very best way, and I would love to see more positive efforts like this happen in each and every state.

For more information about the 9th Annual Prime Time Gala + Concert that will be held on Saturday, June 18, 2022 and for additional details about the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation, click here.

The opinions of Amanda Radke are not necessarily those of beefmagazine.com or Farm Progress.

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