On Friday, the Cheyenne River Youth Project® in Eagle Butte will be honoring one of its longtime volunteers: Romey Garreau, a respected community elder who will celebrate his 75th birthday on June 15. Garreau has been volunteering with the nearly 25-year-old, not-for-profit youth organization for a decade.
Grandson of William Garreau and Jennie On The Lead, a survivor of the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre, Garreau was born in 1937 to Gilbert and Delphine Garreau at the old Cheyenne River Agency, now under Lake Oahe waters near the Highway 212 bridge. Raised at the agency and at his parents’ home north of Ridgeview, he attended school through the eighth grade.
Garreau worked for a few years after he left school and then joined the U.S. Marine Corps prior to his 18th birthday. He served for two years before coming home to Cheyenne River, where he now is a father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
And he is a vital part of the youth project.
“This is a big birthday for Romey, and we want to acknowledge how important he is to us here at CRYP,” said Julie Garreau, executive director. “Over the years, he has beautifully managed our 2-acre, naturally grown Winyan Toka Win Garden, and he provides critical security for The Main Youth Center and the Cokata Wiconi Teen Center.”
Indeed, he has become a familiar and comforting presence at CRYP’s East Lincoln Street campus — to staff, volunteers and children alike.
“We want to take this opportunity to thank Romey for his many years of tireless, dedicated service here,” Garreau said. “And of course to say, Happy 75th Birthday, Romey!”
To learn more about the Cheyenne River Youth Project® and its programs, and for information about making donations and volunteering, call (605) 964-8200 or visitwww.lakotayouth.org. And, to stay up to date on the latest CRYP news and events, visit the youth project’s Facebook “Cause” page. All Cause members will receive regular updates through Facebook.
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.