Once again, the local Dairy Queen in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, is planning to its popular “Sweet Tooth for Youth” fundraising event to benefit the Cheyenne River Youth Project®. From Sunday, May 10 to Saturday, May 16, $1 of every malt, shake, Blizzard and Orange Julius purchase will be donated to CRYP.
The dual goals for the sixth annual fundraiser, according to DQ owners Lonnie and Jackie Heier, are to raise $2,000 to benefit youth programming and services, and to raise awareness about the 26-year-old, not-for-profit, grassroots youth project’s ongoing mission in the community.
“We always hope to break the previous years’ numbers, so we’re hoping to raise at least $2,000 during this year’s fundraiser,” Lonnie Heier said. “CRYP does so much for this community. Its impact on the children simply can’t be overstated. You take one step onto the CRYP campus, and you can’t help but notice that it’s a positive place.
“Julie and her team do a fantastic job teaching the kids, keeping them safe, and helping them reach their full potential,” he continued. “Dairy Queen is proud to be a supporter of this organization.”
Not only will staff members and volunteers be posting signage for the event across the Cheyenne River reservation, many are signing up to appear at Dairy Queen dressed as ice-cream shake with a cherry on top. And, once again, CRYP is offering its “Buy a Blizzard” program for area youth; that way, donors around the country can contribute.
“We started the ‘Buy a Blizzard’ program two years ago, when we realized that so many of our out-of-state friends and supporters wanted to help,” said Julie Garreau, CRYP’s executive director. “We knew this had potential to be more than a strictly local fundraiser, and ‘Buy a Blizzard’ proved to be a win-win for everyone. Not only could we raise more money to support our ongoing youth programming and services, we had a new way for our extended CRYP family to join the fun.”
During the six-day run of “Sweet Tooth for Youth,” CRYP staff members keep a record of all the “Buy a Blizzard” donations. Then, they arrange to make one big delivery to the kids. Donations can be made online at www.lakotayouth.org; simply make a note that the contribution is for “Sweet Tooth for Youth,” and if you have a particular child in mind, include his or her name with the note.
According to Garreau, the most rewarding aspect of this annual spring fundraiser is the partnership with a local business, one that has shown its steadfast support for CRYP and its mission time and again.
“We’re deeply grateful to Lonnie and Jackie for the support they show us, during ‘Sweet Tooth for Youth’ and throughout the year,” she said. “This really is a community effort. Not only do we have a popular local business standing with us, Cheyenne River families and children of all ages can show their support by purchasing sweet treats from May 10 to 16. It’s yet another demonstration of how an entire community can pull together and lift itself up.”
Every dollar raised through the “Sweet Tooth for Youth” fundraiser will directly support CRYP’s programs, which have been serving children and families on South Dakota’s remote, 2.8-million-acre Cheyenne River reservation for more than a quarter century. Garreau acknowledged the importance of community fundraisers like this one, which do more than simply raise money for a cause.
“Community fundraisers also foster goodwill, and they bring members of the community together for a common purpose,” she explained. “That is priceless.”
When the fundraiser kicks off on Sunday, May 10, CRYP will post fundraising updates through Facebook and Twitter. To follow the fundraiser’s progress as it marches toward its $2,000 goal, join CRYP’s social media community and log on throughout the week. And, consider supporting the “Buy a Blizzard” program by visiting www.lakotayouth.org and clicking “Donate Now.”
The Cheyenne River Youth Project, founded in 1988, is a grassroots, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing the youth of the Cheyenne River reservation with access to a vibrant and secure future through a wide variety of culturally sensitive and enduring programs, projects and facilities that ensure strong, self-sufficient families and communities.