Fund to aid S.D. ranchers a success

The Montana Ranchers Paying It Forward reached their goal of 40 head as of Nov. 19 to add to the successful fund to aid the South Dakotan ranchers who suffered severe losses in their stock due to winter weather in October.

Rene Brown and Alisha Burcham organized an effort to gather livestock donations to give to South Dakotans in October. Brown said they hoped they would get their goal of 40 head of cattle at the time, but was unsure that they would achieve it.

“I figured if we has a horse trailer-full we would be doing great,” Brown said. “To fill a whole semi-load was pretty amazing. It just shows you what good people we have in our area.”

Brown said toward the end, they had quite a few people contact them. She does not remember exactly how many cattle they were able to send to South Dakota, but they met their goal.

“We were able to fill the truck and send the whole truck down, so it was very exciting,” Brown said.

A press release from Rapid City, S.D., reported a fund set up to aid the ranchers surpassed $4 million.

“The South Dakota Rancher Relief Fund has received money from more than 5,000 donors in all 50 states,” the release says. “It recently got a boost of more than half a million dollars when Sturgis-based First Interstate Bank bought 33 calves that were then sold at auction barns in South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska and Texas.”

First Interstate President Shawn Rost told the Rapid City Journal that they had no idea that would get so much support.

“The sale barns, all the local ranchers, the businesses all across the region stepped up to support this cause, and we’re just amazed,” Rost said. “Talk about triumph from tragedy.”

The Oct. 10 storm killed nearly 22,000 cattle, 1,400 sheep, 300 horses and 40 bison,” the press release says.

The relief fund has accumulated more than $4.2 million and is still accepting donations, according to the press release.

The fund was established by the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association.

“On one hand it is tough to see that there are so many families that were impacted and are hurting,” said SDSA Executive Director Silvia Christen. “But on the other hand, I’m grateful to know we have this fund available so that we can make a difference for some of those families.”