'Community team effort' helps Mitchell United Way surpass fundraising goal with $421,000

Sam Fosness, The Daily Republic, Mitchell, S.D.
·3 min read

Nov. 19—MITCHELL — With suspense in the air, a big screen monitor displayed $421,000 on Friday afternoon, revealing Mitchell's United Way reached its 2022 fundraising goal.

Despite soaring inflation tightening the pocket books of many, Mitchell's United Way managed to surpass its lofty 2022 fundraising goal of $420,000 this year. Community supporters of the organization celebrated the milestone achievement during Friday's annual banquet at Dakota Wesleyan University's campus.

Mitchell United Way Vice President Ken Schlimgen gave the attendees a glimpse of the challenges that the team of fundraising leaders were up against this year.

"We set that goal before we saw the effects of inflation on food and gas and other things hitting people hard in the pocket book. But we also know that as hard as that affects us, it affects the people we help much worse," Schlimgen said. "This campaign is a team effort. Everyone in this room helped us raise money. We all have the same goal of trying to make this community a better place to live."

This year's fundraising theme was We Won't Let Go.

Dave Stevens, the executive director of Mitchell's United Way, took a moment to reflect on how far the organization has come since its founding in 1981. Stevens said Mitchell's United Way has raised over $13.5 million over the past four decades.

"I want to thank the community for being such a generous community. The support they give to you agencies is just tremendous," Stevens said. "We didn't have to make a final push this year to get more donors to reach our goal."

Mitchell United Way President Jayson Plamp was honored for his dedicated service to the organization that he helped guide amid the pandemic and the tough economic conditions that followed.

After receiving the award, a humble Plamp turned the spotlight right back to the community volunteers and local agencies that he said "make Mitchell such a great place" to call home.

Top donors that helped steer this year's fundraising campaign were recognized with special awards during the banquet.

Leading the way was Trail King Industries. The local trailer manufacturing company donated over $30,000 to this year's United Way campaign.

Muth Electric, Vantage Point Solutions, Avera Queen of Peace Health Services and Vern Eide of Mitchell were among the companies that received the Humanitarian Award for donating between $20,000 and $29,000.

The Grand Achievement Award recognizes businesses that donated between $15,000 and $19,999. CorTrust Bank, Innovative Systems, Hendrickson Trailer Suspension Systems and BankWest honored as the Grand Achievement awardees.

LifeQuest, Graphic Packaging Corporation, Toshiba America Business Solutions and First National Bank were recognized with the President's Achievement Award for donating between $10,000 and $14,999. Abbott House received the Key Award for donating between $7,500 to $9,999.

The Award of Excellency recognized businesses that donated between $5,000 and $7,499. The Mitchell Republic, city of Mitchell employees, First National Bank, CHS Farmers Alliance and County Fair Food Store were among the recipients of the award.

The Service Award recognized entities that donated between $3,000 and $4,999. Dakota Wesleyan University, Central Electric Cooperative, Dakota Counseling Institute, Dental Designs, Dice Financial Services, Fischer, Rounds and Associates, Mitchell Lions Club, Mitchell Technical College, Morgan Theeler, LLP and Northwestern Energy received the Service Award.