Giving Back
Since Reptile Gardens opened in 1937, we’ve always considered it a privilege to give back to the local community that has shown us so much support over the years. Here’s a list of the places that Reptile Gardens is proud to help support:
Big Brothers Big Sisters – Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Black Hills provides children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported, one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.
BH Works – Black Hills Works creates a community where everyone participates to achieve a life full of potential. They strive to create a community where all people are good neighbors, valued friends, productive workers, respected leaders, and caring volunteers.
CASA – The Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program believes that every child deserves a safe, permanent, nurturing home. The CASA Program recruits, trains, and supervises volunteers to advocate in court for the best interest of abused and neglected children.
Children's Care Hospital – Children’s Care Hospital provides services through donor-centered collaboration to sustain and enhance the lives of children and adults with disabilities and their families.
Children's Home Society – It is the belief of Children's Home Society that building and maintaining healthy relationships is the most significant factor in healing children with emotional and behavioral problems.
Feeding South Dakota – Every single week, Feeding South Dakota assists in providing temporary food assistance to approximately 21,000 hungry individuals and families in South Dakota. Their BackPack Program gives food every weekend to over 5,200 kids who otherwise might go hungry.
Love Inc. – Love Inc. mobilizes local churches to transform lives and communities.
Storybook Island – Storybook Island is an admission-free children’s theme park that provides a free, safe, and educational environment for those young in years, or young at heart, to experience the power of imagination.
United Way – United Way raises money, then distributes it to many of the area's leading nonprofit agencies that provide help to people in need in our community. Each agency United Way supports is then able to spend more of its valuable time, energy and dollars doing what it does best...helping people.
WAVI – Although established in 1978, the agency has been operating as Working Against Violence, Inc. (WAVI) since 1996, and moved into its current facility in 2004, where they continue to offer the most complete, secure and supportive services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in the region.
KOTA Care and Share Food Drive
Wellfully – The goal at WellFully is to help these boys and girls, ages 10 to 17 rise from whatever low place they find themselves, whether it’s from addiction, behavioral challenges or just feeling alone, and help them to move to a place where they are well… FULLY WELL!
Cornerstone Rescue Mission – The Cornerstone Rescue Mission is a privately funded, nondenominational, non-profit organization. More than 80% of their support comes from individual donors. The Cornerstone Rescue Mission serves the physical and spiritual needs of more than 500 people every day and has impacted thousands of lives over the years.
Meeting the Need – Meeting the Need was motivated by the personal experiences of Dallas Dietrich, who was injured in an auto accident in 1997. The group aims to provide a unique and readily accessible “Adventure Retreat” destination geared towards individuals and/or groups with special needs.
Lifescape – LifeScape is the combination of the Children’s Care Hospital & School and South Dakota Achieve. They continue to provide all of the services of Children’s Care Hospital & School and South Dakota Achieve to an anticipated 2,500 children and adults through programs in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and many communities and school districts throughout South Dakota.
Black Hills Playhouse – The Black Hills Playhouse provides an essential training ground for early career professionals to bridge the gap between education and the professional world. Each year the Black Hills Playhouse employs approximately 65 theatre professionals including university professors, seasoned actors, technicians and college students. It produces 4-5 plays each season from June through August in an intimate 327 seat, air-conditioned venue.
Black Hills Community Theater – Black Hills Community Theatre (BHCT) was incorporated in South Dakota in 1968 under the name of Group Theatre and it is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) charitable tax exempt organization. Their mission is to infuse the Black Hills Region with enthusiasm for all aspects of theatre by providing quality theatrical opportunities and productions for the Black Hills region.
