For the past 19 years during Sturgis Rally Week, the international motorcycle group Hamsters USA has gone out of their way to help Black Hills area kids grow up strong. Their annual fundraiser for LifeScape Rapid City was held last night in Spearfish, raising an amazing $371,700! These funds help West River children get the physical, occupational, speech, and behavior therapies they need to be empowered for greater independence.
“This year’s total puts the accumulated contributions over the $5 million mark,” says LifeScape Foundation President Jessica Wells. “We can’t overstate how critical their support is in helping kids in underserved areas of the state. For 19 years, Hamsters USA has been our strong partner, ensuring children with disabilities get the help they need.” Special thanks go to event sponsors GCC, a world-class supplier of cement and concrete products, and to Music City Indian Motorcycle of Nashville, TN.
The fundraiser was part of their annual meeting during Rally Week. For the third year, Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden was a special guest at the event. Five-year-old Olivia Bybee of rural Custer, who gets physical therapy at LifeScape, attended with her family and charmed all she met. Olivia introduced herself to every Hamsters USA member she could, putting stickers on their shirts and learning their names. Olivia learned to walk with LifeScape’s help and continues to improve her balance and coordination. “I’ve seen a little girl who couldn’t walk,” says Olivia’s mom, Sara. “That little girl can walk now and doesn’t want to hold my hand anymore. And that’s worth more than anything.”
LifeScape Rapid City served 1,200 children last year. Besides the clinic site in Rapid City, clinicians from LifeScape drive over 10,000 miles each month to deliver outreach therapies to kids in their own communities – in their homes, schools, and daycare centers. This allows children living long distances from Rapid City to receive developmental help without their parents having to take time off work to drive them to Rapid City for therapies.