S.D.’s first Day of Giving to benefit RFKC

Tuesday will be a special day for local organizers of the James River Royal Family KIDS Camp.
That’s when they hope South Dakota’s first-ever Day of Giving — on Giving Tuesday — which will help raise money to cover the cost of busing local foster children (ages 6-12) to the Royal Family Kids Camp next July.

“Our campaign is ‘Can you help us fill the bus’,” said Kathy Van Heukelom, local camp organizer. “We’re hoping to raise $2,000 to cover the transportation cost.”

She said they have received a $1,000 matching gift from Prairie Smiles Family Dentistry.
Last year they had 39 campers from Huron attend one of three camps held in South Dakota. These camps are designed to create positive, life-changing moments for children who have been victims of neglect, abuse and abandonment.

The total cost for providing a five-day camping experience for foster children is $25,000.
“It’s 100 percent fundraised,” Van Heukelom said. “There is no cost to the state of South Dakota or foster families.

“The transportation is just one small portion of the camp cost,” Van Heukelom added.
In South Dakota, there are approximately 468 children ages 6-12 in the foster care system. To serve each of them with a camping experience, the state would have to launch about 12 more camps.