Supporting a Legacy of Excellence–The Comprehensive Campaign
The South Dakota Hall of Fame stands as a beacon of inspiration, recognizing the remarkable achievements and contributions of individuals who have shaped the rich cultural, historical, and social landscape of South Dakota. The South Dakota Hall of Fame is not just a celebration of the past, it is a living, evolving hub that fosters learning, pride, and community engagement for generations to come. Our mission is to “Champion a Culture of Excellence,” and our purpose is to honor, inspire, preserve, and educate.
To sustain and advance this legacy, we have embarked on a campaign (2024- 2026), titled the “Legacy of Excellence Comprehensive Campaign,” aimed at preserving and elevating the Hall’s invaluable work in ways that will leave a lasting impact on South Dakota’s future.
The Legacy of Excellence Campaign has four (4) main areas for giving:
1. Legends & Learning Program
2. Exhibits and Collections
3. The Visitor and Education Center
4. Advancing all five (5) Programs of the SD Hall of Fame
Legends & Learning Program
The Legends & Learning Program is the South Dakota Hall of Fame’s free educational program designed to inspire the future leaders of tomorrow by sharing the legacies of South Dakota Hall of Fame Inductees. This program is available to all without charge and offers teachers, students, and the citizens of South Dakota and the world the opportunity to use the distinctive Inductee stories for educational and professional purposes. The program includes lesson plans for teachers, currently focused on K-5 teachers, which meet state learning standards. The Program presently features over twenty (20) Inductees called “Legends”.
Your charitable investment will:
Allow us to build more Legends & Learning Curriculum, expanding the Program to thirty (30) Legends.
Collaborate with the teachers throughout the State to embed Legends & Learning into their coursework.
Hire a permanent part-time manager for the Program.
Acquire a Learning Management System to house the Program.
Hold an annual educational institute for teachers using the Program.
Fund Legends & Learning in perpetuity through a special endowment.
Offer more graduate-level classes for teachers in partnership with select institutions of higher education.
Why does this matter?
Legends & Learning transfers the knowledge, wisdom, and life lessons of our Legends to the next generation. Through the Program, our youth in South Dakota can set their own life goals, complete with a road map on how to achieve them. Our youth can realize that they can be successful right here in South Dakota.
Exhibits and Collections
The South Dakota Hall of Fame fosters learning through its exhibits, both digital and physical, and collections.
Your charitable investment will:
Transform the exhibits in the Visitor and Education Center through the addition of interactive kiosks.
Through augmented reality and hologram technology, new exhibits will be among the first in South Dakota to feature such technology. Imagine a fireside chat with an Inductee of yesteryear, or playing an instrument or singing a song with an Inductee artist. Imagine learning first-hand the life lessons of a Legend through a conversation with him or her. Holograms can be developed and scripted to do all these things.
Curate the core Inductee data for life lesson themes to share in exhibits.
Curate the collection known as the Emery Tapes, where Native elders were interviewed and audio recorded by Inductee James Emery over the course of many years. The SDHoF would be the only entity sharing these rich stories with the world.
Why does this matter?
New, engaging exhibits using state-of-the-art technologies will foster a high level of engagement and enhanced learning among visitors. Moreover, new exhibits will drive increased visitation to the Hall’s Visitor & Education Center. The South Dakota Hall of Fame will join the communities of Chamberlain and Oacoma and area attractions to include the Dignity sculpture, Atka Lakota Museum, Missouri River Tourism, and the Chamberlain/Oacoma Chamber of Commerce in creating the area as a “Destination Site.” Increasing tourism and the economic impact for the area are part of the revitalization of rural South Dakota–a goal for the state.
The Visitor & Education Center
In 2000, the SD Hall of Fame opened its new Visitor & Education Center at 1480 S. Main in Chamberlain, South Dakota. This nearly 11,000 square foot facility is the home base for the statewide SD Hall of Fame. After twenty-four (25) years, the facility needs some care.
Your charitable investment will:
Permit the SDHoF to repair the facility foundation as it has begun to shift.
Allow purchase of a new furnace as the current one is 25 years old and lacks parts and efficiency.
Allow the purchase of a new air conditioner as the current one is 25 years old and lacks parts and efficiency.
Why does this matter?
Having a brick-and-mortar presence for the SD Hall of Fame is important in the State. Addressing the needs will ensure the viability of the facility in the future.
Advancing All Five Programs of the South Dakota Hall of Fame
In addition to the “stretch goals”, our quest towards excellence for the Hall’s five programs continues. The five programs are: 1) the annual Honors Ceremony, celebrating the ten new Inductees each year and former Inductees; 2) the Legacy of Achievement Program, which is the digital space that houses the Hall’s core data; 3) the Visitor & Education Center; 4) the Acts of Excellence Program, and 5) the Legends & Learning Program.
Your charitable investment will:
Allow the South Dakota Hall of Fame to offer superior Honor Ceremonies.
Permit the Hall to extend extraordinary awards ceremonies in the communities where Acts of Excellence Awards are given.
Feature and use state-of-the-art software for the Hall’s constituent database and its collections database.
Significantly enhance marketing and promotion of the SD Hall of Fame.
Ensure that annual budgets include adequate operational funds and competitive salaries and benefits for the long-term stability of the Hall.
Develop a new Inductee Nomination Site.
Why does this matter?
The South Dakota Hall of Fame sustains itself through private charitable giving, admission donations to its Visitor & Education Center, ticket sales for events, and gift shop sales. This goal will support general operations, ensuring that our five programs meet the standard of excellence.
The South Dakota Hall of Fame envisions a future where the spirit of excellence permeates every corner of our state, igniting passion and purpose in people of all ages. We see a vibrant community that celebrates the achievements of the past while inspiring bold aspirations for the future.
Through our dedication to honoring the extraordinary, we aim to be a beacon of possibility, preserving stories of greatness, empowering lifelong learning, and fostering a culture where dreams take flight.
Together, we will inspire generations to embrace their potential, uphold the value of integrity and innovation, and contribute to a Legacy of Excellence that shapes a brighter tomorrow for South Dakota and beyond. Select the button below to support the Comprehensive Campaign.