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Lead Chamber of Commerce and the Foundation for Health provide food, cloth face masks to Lead/Deadwood community
Constance Walter, Erin Lorraine Broberg

During these unprecedented times, Sanford Underground Research Facility’s (Sanford Lab) is dedicated to providing a safe and healthy workplace for employees, as well as supporting our Northern Hills community.

“Several organizations in the Northern Hills are making tremendous efforts to make food, face masks and other supplies available to the Lead/Deadwood community,” said Mike Headley, executive director of Sanford Lab. “At Sanford Lab, we are proud to partner with organizations that support our neighbors in need.”

Two of these organizations are the Lead Chamber of Commerce and the Foundation for Health.

Chamber leads Feeding Lead program

As the impacts from COVID-19 ripple through communities, the Lead Chamber of Commerce (Chamber) is leading the effort to ensure the community’s food needs are met.

“We felt we needed to step up during this difficult time to help relieve the stress on other groups,” said Sierra Ward, director of the Chamber. The program is open to everyone, Ward added. “If you need it, you just drive up, and we’ll give it to you.”

The Feeding Lead effort kicked off Friday, May 1, at the Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center. Feeding South Dakota provided 100 boxes filled with non-perishable food. Additional food donations are provided from Shephard of the Hills Lutheran Church. Financial donations from several organizations, including the Sanford Underground Research Facility, allowed the Chamber to supplement the boxes with eggs, milk and bread. Some local business are providing clothing and other items for children.

“People have been feeling powerless since this started and really wanted to do something to help their community. This gave them a way to do that,” Ward said. “It’s been awesome to see Lead come together in this way.”

Ward said the program is going well and will run every Friday morning from 9 a.m. to Noon at the Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center as long as there are resources.

For more information, contact Sierra Ward at sierra@leadmethere.org.

 

A group of people wearing masks hold boxes of food and other supplies
Volunteers with the Feeding Lead program from left to right: Mark Javersak, Judy Javersak, Mark Carbo, Betsy Carbo, Debbie Minter, Sue Holloway, with Sierra Ward in the foreground. Photo courtesy Sierra Ward.

 

Foundation for Health creates more than 2,200 cloth face masks

The Foundation for Health (Foundation) is a non-profit charitable organization that bridges health, safety and personal needs in the Lead-Deadwood community. The Foundation is perhaps best known for its annual “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” campaign that raises money for local breast cancer patients during the Days of ’76 Rodeo in Deadwood.

When COVID-19 took over headlines across the nation, the Foundation looked for practical needs that they could meet. In March, the Foundation purchased a $25,000 ventilator for the Monument Health Lead-Deadwood Hospital and initiated a campaign to supply cloth face masks to the community.

On March 28, Laurie Wince, the director of the Foundation, asked eight friends with sewing experience if they would be willing to create cloth face masks with supplies provided by the Foundation. Over a month later, Wince is coordinating a network of 108 people who have sewn 2,200 masks and counting.

“When we asked for volunteers, everyone said yes,” said Wince. “It is way beyond what I could have envisioned a month ago.”

The program is supported by the Foundation, a grant from Monument Health Foundation in Rapid City and gifts from the community, including a donation from Sanford Lab. Spearfish Laundry and Dry Cleaning has donated laundering services to sanitize masks before they are delivered to individuals, organizations and businesses.

“The best way people can help is by appreciating masks. A person wearing a mask is being selfless; they are trying to protect others from anything they may have,” Wince said.

To volunteer to sew masks, to give a monetary donation, or to receive a mask, contact the Foundation at laurie@foundation4health.org or by calling 605-717-6028.

 

Four people in masks hold bags full of facemasks
Mark Schmidt, president of Monument Health Lead Deadwood, and hospital caregivers accept 270 cloth face masks from local volunteers through the Foundation for Health. Photo courtesy Laurie Wince.

 

Group of people hold up signs that say "thank you"
Monument Health Lead Deadwood caregiving team thanks local volunteers with the Foundation for Health for sewing and donating cloth face masks. Photo courtesy Laurie Wince.