Posted on February 28, 2025
The Rotary Club of Rapid City Rushmore is commiting $500,000 to the new Children’s Home Society (CHS) Rapid City Campus. The club will begin raising funds to meet that pledge on Saturday, March 1, when it hosts the 36th Annual Making a Difference for Generations Gala, a benefit for CHS.
Kara Flynn is the Vice President of Development at CHS and a member of Rushmore Rotary. She says she's grateful for her fellow Rotarians’ longstanding partnership and continuing support of CHS.
“We are filled with gratitude for our Rotarian friends and their transformative donation for our new Rapid City Campus,” exclaims Flynn. “Throughout our affiliation, Rotary has raised more than $2.3 million for CHS, which has helped improve our buildings and support our programs. We are truly thankful for their unwavering support and commitment to helping us prevent, treat and heal trauma.”
Since the partnership began in 1989, CHS has completed various building projects, set up a scholarship fund and established an endowment for the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) with the donations received from Rushmore Rotary. This past December, Rushmore Rotary closed out a $250,000 pledge to the CAC endowment. A majority of the donations come from hosting two annual events benefiting CHS—the Gala and the Rotary Club of Rapid City Rushmore Golf Tournament.
Rushmore Rotary President Heidi Bell Gease says they continue to host the events and give because “Rotary’s value system is to act with honesty and integrity, and that aligns with how the Children’s Home Society operates.”
“As Rotarians, we strive to work with others to create lasting change in the world and in our communities,” says Bell Gease. “That’s exactly what Children’s Home Society does through its residential facility, Child Advocacy Center and other services. The work they do makes a critical difference in the lives of the children they serve and we are grateful to play a part in that.”