Big donation bolsters South Dakota Veterans Cemetery

A $2.1 million donation to the South Dakota Veterans Cemetery will help ensure it becomes a long-term, sustainable place, the South Dakota Veterans Council announced.

Philanthropist Denny Sanford, Premier Bankcard CEO Miles Beacom and his wife, Lisa, recently provided the gift, which is the largest single donation received by the nonprofit veterans organization.

“This generous donation speaks to the incredible work being done across our state for veterans and their families,” Terry Paulsen, president of the South Dakota Veterans Council, said in a statement. “I can’t thank these individuals enough for believing in our commitment to building and maintaining this new cemetery.”

Miles Beacom said the gift was a fitting way to thank South Dakota’s veterans and families for their service and sacrifice.

“Denny Sanford, Lisa and I are honored to be a part of this project,” Beacom said. “We are truly indebted to the brave men and women who have served our great nation, and this is simply our way of saying thank you. One of our Premier views and values is ‘Make a Difference.’ This gift is truly a way that we can make a difference in the lives of those who have given so much to all of us.”

The cemetery’s current footprint will support military veterans and their dependents for an estimated 125 years. The facility has been supported by the state of South Dakota, the city of Sioux Falls, the South Dakota Veterans Council and the South Dakota Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The major donation will help satisfy the $3 million goal required for the cemetery’s annual maintenance reserve fund, Paulsen said.

South Dakota Veterans Cemetery ready to offer final resting place to those who served