The Lake Andes Volunteer Fire Department received a $5,000 grant recently from South Dakota Salutes; this gift was enhanced by gifts from the City of Pickstown, Andes State Bank, Nancy Gall, Ron and Stephanie Koupal, Juffer Inc., and Jeff Scherschligt, increasing the total grant to $9,900.

Lake Andes, is the county seat of Charles Mix County and is surrounded by large volumes of water; the community's namesake Lake Andes is 4,817 acres of recreational water. The Missouri River and Lake Francis Case are also nearby. With much of the area's water providing fishing opportunities to anglers throughout the year, the Lake Andes Fire Department relied on a technique of pressurizing fire hoses with air to perform ice/water rescues.

South Dakota Salutes was made aware of the Lake Andes Fire Department's request to add a Rescue Alive Ice Rescue Platform along with Ice Rescue Suits and awarded a grant through our Special Needs Fund to serve as seed money to help raise local funds to complete the purchase. Additional funds were provided by.

This gift was provided through a recently formed “special needs fund” created by the South Dakota Salutes organization. This fund was developed through the vision of an individual donor, whose intent was to provide “seed money” that would be used to raise matching local funds, with proceeds targeted to fund unmet needs of emergency service organizations throughout South Dakota.

In keeping with the local-support intent of the special needs fund, Showplace Cabinetry, a Harrisburg-based business, was approached and agreed to match the South Dakota Salutes grant.

“We are pleased to provide this grant to the Lake Andes Volunteer Fire Department,” said South Dakota Salutes representative Scott Korsten. “We’re equally pleased to partner with community-minded businesses and the Trusted Choice Independent Insurance Agents of South Dakota to enable the Lake Andes Volunteer Fire Department to purchase the equipment thy need.”

South Dakota Salutes – March 15, 2022

South Dakota Salutes (SDS) was formed in 2006 as an event to show appreciation to South Dakota first responders and military personnel. SDS also raises money and provides an immediate $10,000 cash gift to bridge the immediate financial concerns of the families of South Dakota “First Responders” who have died in the line of duty.

For more information, visit the South Dakota Salutes website at https://www.sdsalutes. org/

About South Dakota Salutes:

South Dakota Salutes (SDS) is statewide entity of volunteers formed to show appreciation to those “First Responders” who are always there to serve and protect the citizens of South Dakota 24/7. SDS appreciation events are available to all South Dakota First Responders including the following groups:

Law Enforcement – Including: city & town police; county sheriffs & deputy sheriffs; highway patrol officers; Game, Fish & Parks Officers; Federal DCI etc.

Fire & Rescue including EMT’s (full-time & volunteer)

Military personnel – including: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Reserve Units, Guard Units (active duty & retired)

SDS is funded through statewide sponsorships and donations. All monies received are deposited with the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation. Funds received over-and-above the cost of hosting SDS appreciation events are placed in a special trust fund at the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation designated to support the families of South Dakota first responders who have died in the line of duty. An additional Special Needs Fund is also administered through the SFACF to provide funding for unmet needs of South Dakota emergency response organizations.

Four times in an 18-month period, South Dakota Salutes responded with $10,000 cash gifts for families of First Responders who have died in the line of duty, while serving and protecting South Dakotans.

• Argyle South Dakota volunteer firefighter Dwain Hudson died on April 17, 2019 and we presented a check to his family on April 24th

South Dakota Salutes – March 15, 2022

• Sturgis Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief David Fischer died on September 7, 2018 and we presented a check to his family on September 11th

•Minnehaha County Deputy Sheriff Steve Maciejewski died on April 3, 2018 and we presented a check to his family on April 6th

•Fire Chief Donny Manger, of Presho died on October 14, 2017 and we presented a check to his family on October 17th

SDS has no paid employees; the events are hosted entirely by volunteers and sponsors.

South Dakota Salutes is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are deductible to the maximum extent allowable for federal income tax purposes.