SURF and community partners raise an additional $11,075 for Foundation for Health in October

Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) employees and community partners raised $11,075 during October’s annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month fundraiser in support of the Foundation for Health in the northern Black Hills. The organization offers financial assistance to individuals and families who have needs that accompany a cancer diagnosis.  

Laurie Wince, director of Foundation for Health, accepted a check at SURF. “I can’t thank everyone enough for this donation,” said Wince. “The Northern Hills is a relatively small community, and the funds raised by SURF and others over the years have made a huge impact on multiple families lives.”

Wince says $400-600 is the average amount of support Foundation for Health provides to local families in need. “We also are privileged at times to assist individuals more than once to support them through the longer journey of their treatment,” said Wince. The funds can help cover transportation costs for treatment and other needs. “There are often patients who struggle to get to their treatment appointments while dealing with childcare and other expenses,” says Wince.  “There are so many stories that show these donations make a big difference in our community.”

The final tally was the result of multiple individuals and community partners who donated at SURF and during local fundraising events organized by SURF’s Working Wellness Group.

“We even had someone buy a bunch of snacks at a local grocery store and donate them to be put up for sale in a break area with all the contributions going to the Foundation for Health,” said Julie Ewing, who directs SURF’s Environment, Safety, and Health Department and who is a member of the Working Wellness Group.

“I am impressed and grateful for the generous support from our staff at SURF and from all of our community partners for this worthy cause,” said Mike Headley, executive director of the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority (SDSTA) and laboratory director at SURF.  “The Foundation for Health is doing many wonderful things to help our friends and neighbors who are battling cancer. This is a tremendous example of our team living our core value of ‘care for others,’” Headley said.  This year, SURF offered matching funds for all the individual donations that came in from staff members.

“We’ve been fortunate to have some large donations to Foundation for Health over the years,” since Wince.  “But the large bulk of our donations come from individual people, like those at SURF, who give a little bit whenever they can. For this reason, we are always grateful for every person who chooses to donate,” she added.

In total SURF’s annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month fundraisers have brought in more than $34,560 for Foundation for Health over the past five years.