Dear GreatLIFE Members, Team Members & Support Team,
It is starting to feel like most of the winter is behind us now with our Fox Run Golf Club opening this past weekend and hopefully the opening of some of our other golf courses later this week! Spring can’t come soon enough! As more people are getting vaccinated and herd immunity growing, we are seeing more and more of our Members utilizing our facilities. Having our gyms open during this virus has been a positive outlet for our Members to burn off those quarantine pounds, relieve stress and calm anxiety.
Our GreatLIFE Cares Foundation has a coalition of over 30 charitable and civic organizations including our three school systems. This past year we have awarded over $200,000 to these charities and organizations. Each month we will feature at least two of these efforts. So, a big “Thank You” to our GreatLIFE Corporate Partners and sponsors of our annual Challenge for Change Golf event at our Willow Run Golf Club.
With our partnership with the YMCA and the Sioux Falls Boys & Girls Club, we are fully operational and serving both our Members and kids with their after school program with our PLAY Everything clinics and sports development programs. Two other programs that we have supported are Sioux Falls Hope Coalition and Center for Hope winter clothing for kids.
The Sioux Falls Hope Coalition has been around since 2015 and its mission is to ensure every child gets a chance to attend preschool. There are estimated 300 under privileged kids that can’t afford the $2,500 per student cost for preschool. According to studies, if a child even has one year of preschool by third grade their reading aptitude is significantly higher than kids that do not attend preschool. For every dollar invested in preschool, there is a $9 increase in community economic benefit. This year Sioux Falls Hope Coalition is providing 200 kids with preschool at 10 different facilities, most of them with a Christian basis. Some of these kids learn to speak English within months of starting preschool. Please go to info@sfhopecoalition.org to learn more.
Center for Hope is located on the Empower Campus, the old School for the Deaf site. One of the challenges facing some of the teachers in the public schools were young students that didn’t have enough winter clothing. So, in conjunction with the Center for Hope, any teacher can fill out a simple form requesting clothing and email or fax it to them. The Boys & Girls Club has volunteered to deliver the clothing to the school for the teacher to personally hand deliver the clothing to the student within a few school days after the request is received. The program is now available with the Catholic School system as well.
Another one of the programs we sponsored, Tom Osborne’s TeamMates Mentoring program is kicking in high gear with virtual mentoring and we have a big need for mentors. To learn more or to become a TeamMates Mentor, please contact our Executive Director Lora Hayes ay lora.hayes@k12.sd.us if interested.
Most importantly, thanks for being a GreatLIFE Member. Your health and safety are our primary focus. Enjoy the video and have a great St. Patrick’s Day!
Tom