2024 Annual Family Christmas Potluck 12-14-2024

Attendees (20): Keith and Dorla Brink, Jim and Maggie Brown, Bob and Kathie Buchanan, Grant and Mary Coffin, Lon and Vicky Gose, Jerry and Patsy Hood, Stu and Mary Kellogg, Harley Schmadeke, Nick Spano, Tony Verchio, Cori Weisbeck, Rick Weisbeck, and John Wolf.

Twenty members of the RCWA traveled to the Nemo Community Center in Nemo, SD, on Saturday Dec 14, 2024, for our annual Christmas Family Potluck luncheon.  Hosts Patsy and Jerry set up tables, chairs, music and the tree for the event.  Patsy, Kathie, Rick, and Mary put on table cloths and decorated the tables.  Kathie and Bob brought a Turkey, Patsy and Jerry and Lon and Vicky brought hams. We started the luncheon about 11:30 am.  Lots of salads, breads, and desserts filled out the super meal. 

Patsy made table centerpieces and gave them away as door prizes.

We started the meal with Jerry giving thanks for all the blessings of the past year, followed by lots of eating and visiting.

The road to Nemo was clear and dry and the gathering concluded by 1:30 pm, so everyone was home long before dark.  It was a beautiful drive thru the Hills!  Thanks Patsy and Jerry for hosting and making the event so enjoyable.  Thanks to all attending as well.

Toy Packing and Distribution Day - Dec 7, 2024

 

 Toy Packing/Distribution Day

We set up for the Toy Packing and Distribution Day at 8:30 am on Saturday Dec 7 2024.  This included moving tools out of the storeroom, moving the boxes of toys from the storeroom to the shop area, setting up all the toys in toy pickup order, and taking photos of all the new toys for 2024.  We started "toy picking and box filling" about 9:30 am and finished by 11 am.  We packed 137 boxes total.

The recipient organizations began picking up toys after 10:30 am.  All toys were out the door by 11:30 am.  Thanks to all who helped make this an amazing year! 

Attendees (35): Mary Jo Anderson, Dee Bevers, Keith Brink, Jim Brown, Maggie Brown, Bob Buchanan, Kathie Buchanan, Jim Burk, Darwin Buus, Lauree Buus, Grant Coffin, Frank DiCesare, Cleon Diers, Roy Erickson, Lon Gose, Gary Graves, Pat Graves, Jerry Hood, Patsy Hood, Arnie Jordan, Stu Kellogg, Ken Maron, Al Oines, Ed Pike, Adam Rasmussen, Harley Schmadeke, Nick Spano, Russ Stueckrath, Tony Verchio, Cori Weisbeck, Rick Weisbeck, John Wolf

Guests: Teresa Kaiser, Emilu Kaiser, Sue YFS

(the lull before the storm)

inspection of the toy picking line

pickers meet the packers 

Toys heading to Chamberlain, SD (150), and Beatrice, NE/Crete, NE (700), via the big red Graves-mobile.

Toys (500 in 17 boxes) heading to the Cheyenne River Youth Project in Eagle Butte, SD via the blue-mobile.

Toys (250 toys in 11 boxes) heading to the Shop at the Club for Boys via Bobs truck.

Toys heading to YFS via the YFS company van.

Other toys were headed to Ellsworth AFB, Camp Rapid, Spearfish, Sturgis, Douglas, Rapid City, Black Hawk, Irwin, PA, and Flood Relief in North Carolina.

Organizations receiving toys today included:

Rapid City, SD

Youth and Family Services - Prenatal to Five Headstart

Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity

Black Hills Pregnancy Center

Airmen and Family Readiness Center, EAFB

Black Hills Chaplains Association (BHCA)

The Club for Boys

SD National Guard

EAFB Youth Programs, EAFB

Working Against Violence Inc

Monument Pediatrics

Pennington County Emergency Management Dept

Other Locations:

Beatrice Schools, Beatrice, NE and Crete, NE

Cheyenne River Youth Project, Eagle Butte, SD

First Methodist Church - Irwin, PA

Foster Parent Association of the Northern Hills, Spearfish, SD

Kinship Mountain Ministries, Sturgis, SD

St. Joseph's Indian School, Chamberlain, SD

Northern Hills Alliance for Children (NHAC), Deadwood, SD

Flood Relief Recovery Efforts – North Carolina