Aiming to Inspire Health Raises Nearly $31,000 for New Ambulance

  • August 12, 2024

Nearly $31,000 was raised at Brookings Health System Foundation‘s fifteenth annual Aiming to Inspire Health fundraiser on Thursday, Aug. 8. The event was held at Brookings Gun Club, rural Brookings, S.D., and presented by First Bank & Trust.

Sanford Health Brookings Clinic placed first in the adult category at the Aiming to Inspire Health fundraiser with a score of 155. Pictured from left to right are Sampson Storhaug, Ron Koerner, Marshall Anema and Rod Brandenburger.

Proceeds from the 2024 clay target fundraiser and raffle will support the purchase of a new advanced life support ambulance. 

Twenty-nine teams participated at this year’s clay target tournament. Winners from the event include:

  • First Place Adult Team — 155; Sanford Health Brookings Clinic: Rod Brandenburger, Marshall Anema, Ron Koerner, Sampson Storhaug
  • First Place Adult Individual — 44; Kylin Nelson 
  • Second Place Adult Individual — 41; Michael Hanson
  • First Place Youth Team — 100; Youth Team C – Midwest Fresh: Jackson Hahn, Kenzie Owens, Riley Owens, Alexander Storhaug
  • First Place Youth Individual — 41; Alexander Storhaug
  • Second Place Youth Individual — 37, Riley Owens
  • Drawing, Individual — Rick Lee 
  • Drawing, Team —Helsper, McCarty & Rasmussen
  • Ghost Clay Drawing — Mark Widman
  • Lowest Individual Score — Tim Jensen
  • Top Individual Sore on random station – Chris Hornick
  • Early Bird Drawing —First Bank & Trust #2
Youth Team C – Midwest Fresh placed first in the Aiming to Inspire Health fundraiser’s youth category with a score of 100. Pictured are Jackson Hahn, Riley Owens, Alexander Storhaug and Kenzie Owens.

In conjunction with the tournament, Brookings Health System Foundation also held a raffle sponsored by Brookings Powersports and Runnings of Brookings. Grand prize winner of the Aiming to Inspire Health raffle was Craig Leite. Leite won a 2025 Polaris Ranger 1000 premium utility terrain vehicle (UTV) from Brookings Powersports. Second Prize winner was Lexy Lynn. Lynn won a Black Benelli Nova 12-gauge hunting shotgun donated by Runnings of Brookings. Third prize winner was Patricia Schirmang. Schirmang won a 25-quart Igloo Trailmate cooler, spruce color, filled with snacks from Runnings of Brookings.

Event sponsors included First Bank & Trust; Brookings Billboard; Runnings of Brookings; Brookings Power Sports; Sanford Health Brookings Clinic; HyVee of Brookings; AAA Collections, Inc.; Avera Medical Group Brookings; Helsper, McCarty & Rasmussen P.C.; Banner Associates; Dacotah Bank; Kerry’s Landscaping; Kraus-Anderson Construction; Marsh McLennan Agency; Yorkshire Eye Clinic & Optical; AMP Electric Construction, Inc.; Thompson Electric; Eide Bailly; Walmart of Brookings; Bowes Construction; Valero Renewable Energy, Basin Electric Power Cooperative; Building Sprinklers Inc.; Falcon Plastics, Inc.; Midwest Fresh Catering and Sioux Valley Energy.

Friends of the Foundation who helped make the event possible included Allegra; Blue Tide Car Wash; Brookings County Outdoor Adventure Center; Brookings Gun Club; Brookings Health System Gift Shop; The Brookings Register; Burris Optical; Courtesy Plumbing; Cubby’s Sports Bar & Grill; Dairy Queen Brookings; Outlaw Graphics; The Prairie Perk-Up; Scheels Sioux Falls and SDSU Athletics.

For more information about Brookings Health System Foundation or ways to support local health care, please contact Foundation Director Brittany Venekamp at (605) 696-8045 or foundation@brookingshealth.org or visit brookingshealth.org/Foundation.

About Brookings Health System

Brookings Health System, located in Brookings, South Dakota, includes a 49-bed hospital, the 79-bed The Neighborhoods at Brookview nursing home, Brookhaven Estates senior living apartments, Yorkshire Eye Clinic & Optical, and medical clinics in Arlington, White and Volga, South Dakota. It is a non-profit, city-owned facility that offers the community a full range of inpatient, outpatient, emergency and extended care services. Brookings Hospital provides local access to doctors in Brookings and offers robotic da Vinci surgery and Mako robotic-arm assisted procedures, making it one of the premier rural community hospitals in South Dakota. For more information about the services offered at Brookings Health System, please call (605) 696-9000 or visit us on the Web at brookingshealth.org.

About Brookings Health System Foundation

The mission of Brookings Health System Foundation is “Inspiring people to support Brookings Health System through philanthropy, recognizing the vital role of local healthcare in sustaining quality of life in our community.” Gifts to the Foundation support charity health care for those less fortunate, health and wellness education, facility, equipment, and technology upgrades and other needs as they arise at Brookings Health System. For more information about Brookings Health System Foundation or how you may contribute, please contact Foundation Director Brittany Venekamp at (605) 696-8045 or foundation@brookingshealth.org.