SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) – Special Olympics South Dakota recently received a significant financial boost: a check for $37,737 from the South Dakota Peach Festival. The Fruit Club presented the second annual South Dakota Peach Festival in July for the benefit of Special Olympics, which assisted with the event.
“We were very pleased to be able to raise that much money for such a wonderful cause,” said Penny Olson, volunteer ambassador for the Peach Festival. She thanks event sponsors who helped make the contribution possible.
Darryl Nordquist, president and CEO of Special Olympics South Dakota, said the money will be used to develop the organization’s Young Athletes and Healthy Athletes programs.
“I truly love the partnership that The Fruit Club and the Peach Festival have developed with Special Olympics South Dakota,” Nordquist said. “This was only the second year of the Peach Festival, which presented the challenges of a new event. However, The Fruit Club and Special Olympics came together to make it a wonderful, family-oriented festival.”
More than 40,000 people were estimated to have attended this year’s festival, which was held July 25-26 at Yankton Trail Park.
The Fruit Club, the driving force behind the festival, trucks fresh fruit from orchards across the country to delivery sites in the region. See www.TheFruitClub.net for more information or to order fruit.
Photo information: Participating in a recent check presentation were, from left, Amber Muehl and Penny Olson of The Fruit Club, and Twila Hansen and Darry Nordquist of Special Olympics South Dakota.