NEWS RELEASE: July 3, 2023

Contact:

Scott Engmann
Executive Director
Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity
605-348-9196
Scott@blackhillshabitat.org

Sturgis Event Brings Builders, BBQ, and Fine Art Together

Rapid City, SD – July 3, 2023. Ross & Jan Lamphere and Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity partnered to host a Builders BBQ at the Lamphere Ranch Campground in Sturgis, SD on Thursday, June 29. More than 50 people attended the event. Many of the “Builders,” have grown up together in the Black Hills region, and the evening was filled with friendship and comradery. All proceeds from the event go to finishing building three new Black Hills Area Habitat homes in Sturgis on Fleet and Nellie Streets.

Instead of a live auction, a sculpture donated by renowned sculptor and South Dakota Artist Laureate Dale Claude Lamphere (brother to Ross) was on display and will be placed on eBay the first week in July and be live for 10 days. Anyone across the country with access to eBay will be able to bid on this item. Check the Habitat website for updates: www.blackhillshabitat.org.

Eagle Feather Fan by local Sturgis, SD artist, Dale Lamphere

The Eagle Feather Fan sculpture measures 12 ½” tall by 9” wide by 6” deep. It is cast in stainless steel with a black marble base. Artist Dale Lamphere has completed 60 major public sculptures around the country, including the Dignity of Earth and Sky along the Missouri River in Chamberlain, and the Arc of Dream over the Big Sioux River in downtown Sioux Falls.

All proceeds from this eBay auction will be donated to the Black Hills Area Habitat to finish building the three new Sturgis homes.

To kick off the Builders BBQ fundraising, a generous donor made a challenge gift of $50,000.

“We hope that the Sturgis community and friends of Sturgis can meet this challenge in the next six months as we are investing over $500,000 into the three Sturgis homes,” said Scott Engmann, Executive Director, Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity. Engmann recognized the donors who made the three Sturgis lots possible, who were in attendance. He thanked the event sponsor, Black Hills Energy, the City of Sturgis, the Sturgis Chamber of Commerce, and the Sturgis Economic Development, Corp. “There are so many good things happening in Sturgis, and the energy and excitement here is undeniable. We could not do what we do without you.”

During the event, new Black Hills Area Habitat partner families, who participate in the building construction of their new homes, were introduced:

Sabrina, a Sturgis native, is going through the final steps of purchasing her home on Fleet St. for her family through the Black Hills Area Habitat home ownership program. She has worked with Black Hills Special Services for almost a decade and is grateful to be able to live and work close to family. “It was super amazing putting up that last piece and being like, ‘wow, this is my home.” It makes me appreciate it so much more to see all the work that goes into it.”

Samantha is a longtime resident of Sturgis and has worked at Black Hills Special Services for over a decade. Samantha and her two dogs will be a close neighbor to her sister, Sabrina, who will live right around the corner and Richard, her next-door neighbor on Nellie St. “Working alongside the construction crew and taking the classes that are required has been a blessing. I am ready to buy my home and excited to help build it.”

Richard is a Lead/Deadwood area resident and is an experienced cook and the father of two children, ages 12 and 15. He was thrilled when Habitat offered him a lot on Nellie St. in Sturgis, where he can easily commute to work and frequently check in with his mother, with whom he has a close relationship. “This house means the world to me and my family. We are very excited for the possibilities that this house will offer.”

To qualify for a Habitat home, applicants must show a need, meet income requirements, put in 250 hours of sweat equity working on their home and other partner family’s homes, take home repair and finance/budgeting classes, and then work to pay off their mortgages over 20-30 years.

“There is so much good that comes from having a home,” said Ross Lamphere, host and owner of the Lamphere Ranch Campground.

Engmann agreed. “Habitat homeowners tend to stay in their homes, pay taxes, pay down their mortgages, and engage with their communities,” he said. “Owning a home is a mobilizer, it moves us to want to be part of something bigger than ourselves. The affordable homes will have lasting impact on the Sturgis community.”

About Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity 

A nonprofit Christian housing organization dedicated to creating a world where everyone has a decent place to live, Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity (BHAHFH) brings together people with resources and people in need of a hand up to build and repair simple, decent, affordable homes. BHAHFH has served over 340 families locally and globally since 1990. BHAHFH ReStore helps raise funds through items donated and sold to serve additional families in the Black Hills area. Call 348-9196 for store and donation hours. For more information, visit www.blackhillshabitat.org or call 348-9196. Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity is a United Way member agency.

About Habitat for Humanity International

Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The Christian housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in local communities across all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand-up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering, or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability, and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.