Let’s Play Kickball! Lost & Found Puts on Strong Performance at Kicks for a Cause 2018

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An elementary student’s daily recess activity, or nonprofit’s dream?

For The Lost & Found Association, kickball turned into an unparalleled opportunity to raise money for suicide prevention programs.

Lost & Found competed in the 2018 Kicks for a Cause benefit tournament held in Sioux Falls, SD at Earl McCart Fields on June 2nd, along with 11 other local nonprofits from the Sioux Falls area. In the end, the team raised $8,850 and significant awareness for Lost & Found and its resilience-focused programs.

And a whole lot of dirt.
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THE EVENT

Kicks for a Cause was founded in 2017 as a way to unite causes from around the Sioux Falls area to raise funds and awareness. 12-16 nonprofits from around the region compete in a day-long kickball tournament and skills competition, having fun and sharing their message while doing so.

The event began long before any kickball was thrown. Teams began fundraising as early as February for the event, as each nonprofit engaged in a friendly competition to see who could raise the most funds. In addition, Kicks for a Cause holds several events throughout the year to raise funds to be split among the participating nonprofits.

The June 2nd event at Earl McCart Fields included a day-long kickball tournament and skills competition, where competing nonprofits could earn additional donations for their cause. Free food, drink, and inflatables were on hand for a beautiful, sunny day in central Sioux Falls.

The 2018 tournament featured nonprofits large and small from the Sioux Falls region, with a range of causes from suicide prevention to feeding the poor to helping kids find their full potential in the community. Participating nonprofits included:

• Boys and Girls Club of the Sioux Empire
• Siouxpercon
• Survivors Joining for Hope (SJ4H)
• Fight Like a Ninja Scholarship Fund
• Dakota Dachshund Rescue
• KW (Keller-Williams) Cares
• The Banquet
• The Guiding Hand Foundation
• Special Olympics South Dakota
• Embe
• LSS Mentoring Services
• The Lost & Found Association

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L&F KICKS IT OUT OF THE PARK

Lost & Found, a newcomer to the Kicks for a Cause event, joined the field in early April and completed a terrific run, raising $8,500 for its operations through pledges. The $8,500 raised includes a generous $5,000 matching donation from Johnson Feed, Inc. (JFI) from Canton, SD. American Bank & Trust served as the title sponsor for the team, along with JFI and The Diamond Room by Spektor. Lost & Found’s efforts earned top fundraising honors among the participating nonprofits.

As it turns out, Lost & Found possesses a mean kickball game to go with its fundraising prowess. Taking on a team philosophy of playing “low and slow,” the Lost & Found team turned in 26 runs over four games to take home second place honors behind Boys and Girls Club of the Sioux Empire.

Team members included Steve Payne (Captain), Hunter Winklepeck, Erika Tordsen, Austin Benson, Anshu Chandra, Alyssa Brazil, Tate Stensgaard, Sami Zoss, and Sam Parkinson, along with L&F President Erik Muckey and Treasurer Tom Parker.

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TAKING THE NEXT STEP

Lost & Found’s involvement in Kicks for a Cause comes during a period of program enhancement. With the added funds, Lost & Found chapters will unveil “Resilience Modules” as part of its programming. Modules will focus first on developing Resilience for Self, giving students a framework to understand personal strengths and development necessary for a resilient life. The other modules, Resilience for Others and Resilience for Communities, focus on providing help for peers facing anxiety, depression and suicide ideation on campus, as well as enhancing campus capacity for suicide prevention.

With the added funds, Lost & Found will be able to pilot a model that is expected to create tremendous impact for students at both the University of South Dakota and South Dakota State University. With successful implementation, the model would be expanded to share with additional campuses around the region and country.

As for next year? Look for Lost & Found at Kicks for a Cause 2019, as we seek to surpass our fundraising goal, win an elusive tournament championship, and continue to share the message of resilience for communities and people.

Interested in joining us next year? Leave a comment or send us a message.

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