South Dakota Hall of Fame honors 10 'champions' of the state
The South Dakota Hall of Fame announced their 2023 inductees last month, selecting ten diverse individuals for their achievements in the medical field, business, agriculture, education, sports, and arts and entertainment.
South Dakota Hall of Fame Chief Executive Officer Laurie Becvar said that the aim of the event is to honor and recognize champions from the region, because their experiences can be valuable for other people in the state and in the nation. She added that their organization had been holding this event since 1974.
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“Everyone needs a hero, and these ten people that we have chosen can teach us a great deal about life and leadership,” said Becvar.
She noted that all the chosen individuals give back to their communities and to the state in some significant way.
Along with paying tribute and recognizing individual achievements, the event also pursues educational purposes. By embedding the experiences of their inductees into a relevant curriculum, said Becvar, their success stories can be made available to the public.
“We do honor and recognize, but we also inspire, and we educate,” said Becvar.
She said that although their programming is geared toward youth, all South Dakotans can benefit from learning of the inductees’ experiences through the years.
“We are strategically building a curriculum like that,” said Becvar.
Some of the inductees of this year that Becvar highlighted include Dakota State University President José-Marie Griffiths, who, as Becvar noted, “literally transformed the state university into a nationally recognized institution for cyber security.”
Becvar said that Griffiths' contributions improve the community at large and benefit all of the state's residents.
Larry Rohrer, a radio and TV host for South Dakota Public Broadcasting has an even greater impact on all South Dakotans through his innovations in media programming, said Becvar.
She added that Rohrer has been a leader in creating free honor flights to Washington DC for veterans. He also became a trailblazer in internet streaming of high school activities.
The public is invited to attend the Honors Ceremony celebrating the inductees of the class of 2023. The ceremony will be held on September 8-9 in Chamberlain-Oacoma starting with a grand opening on Friday night at the Visitor and Education Center with free admission.
“It will be an opportunity for the public to meet the inductees and get to know about how they have become champions in South Dakota,” said Becvar. “That is a new addition.”
Another new addition to the ceremony is a ticketed brunch on Saturday that the public is invited to attend as well, she continued. The South Dakota Hall of Fame Board of Directors intends to facilitate a brunch panel discussion among the inductees.
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An anniversary reunion event is also planned for Saturday afternoon Visitor and Education Center. During the reunion, the public will get an opportunity to meet past inductees dating 40 years back.
“We are hoping that the public comes and gets a chance to meet some of those,” said Becvar.
Finally, Saturday night will culminate with the highlight of the honor ceremony — a banquet, which will be held at Arrowwood Resort in Oacoma. The event is ticketed, said Becvar.
“This is where we have a wonderful meal, and then we hear the acceptance speeches of the inductees,” she said.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota Hall of Fame honors 10 'champions' of the state
