Wow! Huge Donation Gives Kids Free Lunch At South Dakota School

Some South Dakota families are going to get a little financial relief this school year after a very generous donation.

A wonderful anonymous donor has offered to cover all school lunches for kiddos in the Oldham-Ramona-Rutland School District in South Dakota. Unbelievable!

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In a recent article from the Madison Daily Leader, the exciting news was officially announced earlier last week, and the Oldham-Ramona-Rutland School District Superintendent Dawn Hoeke confirmed the donation.

So what does this generous donation entail? Will all meals be included? No doubt these funds will go a long way throughout the district. However, it won't cover all food expenses.

This donation will not cover the cost of breakfast, milk breaks, or seconds for kindergarten through fifth-grade students. Nevertheless, this donation will ensure that students in the Oldham-Ramona-Rutland School District will eat nutritious meals every day.

Superintendent Dawn Hoeke shared a letter from the anonymous donor, who did attend the district many years ago:

"Dear Superintendent Hoeke, I am proud to make this donation to your school. It is in appreciation of all of the individuals who made my time in elementary and high school a positive experience. Those who made my school years great include administrators, bus drivers, coaches, cooks, custodians, fellow students, school board members, and most important, each and every teacher who challenged me to do more than I thought possible. I hope others decide that they would also like to make life better for our future leaders that they may consider a donation to this fund in the future. I want to thank you for taking the time to meet with me and for the hoops you have had to jump through in order for this to become a reality. Good luck in the soon-to-begin school year."

It just shows there are good people in this world, especially in South Dakota!

You can read the full story here.

The school year will be here before ya know it.

Here's my list of Not-So-Typical, but Awesome Things to See in Sioux Falls.

The Remaining Drive-In Theaters In South Dakota

If you were born last century...you know, in the nineteen hundreds (ugh)...you may have spent a summer evening in the car watching movies. I don't mean on your phone, I mean at the drive-in movie theater!

If you were in Sioux Falls in the 1970s and '80s you may remember seeing Jaws and Indiana Jones at The East Park or the Starlite Drive-In. Both drive-ins opened just after World War 2.

The East Park didn't make it out of the '70s, closing in 1978. The Starlite survived long enough to see the birth of home video, closing in 1985.

FLASHBACK: Remember the East Park and Starlite Drive-in Theaters in Sioux Falls?

Drive-in movies had a bit of a resurgence during the pandemic. They were a way to go out and do something social without getting out of your car.

If you tried one during that time, or you remember the fun of a warm summer evening watching movies on that giant screen there are still places in South Dakota and around Sioux Falls you can do it.

Gallery Credit: Ben Kuhns