As health care workers have gone above and beyond the call of duty, the SD Beef Council is providing beef bucks and beef certificates as a way to say thank you to the caregivers.
45 hospitals from the smallest to largest systems including Monument are participating in this $50,000 partnership effort to give back to healthcare workers.
Les Shaw, Promotion Committee Chair for South Dakota Beef Industry Council, says, “There’s no more vital part to our community then the healthcare industry, they kind of take care of us…and so we thought that it was very important for sure to show our gratitude and thank these workers that are just really at their wits end and burning the candle from both ends, and so we just wanted to say thank you and that we are there for you and we support you.”
The South Dakota Beef Industry Council promotes, educates and researches the beef industry in our state. They share the health aspects, value and quality of producer’s products.
Gary Deering, Director of SD Beef Industry Council, says, “We are all in it together, I mean we have seen some community downfall…and this is a positive approach to things. It’s a big community involvement with the beef check off and so it’s just kind of a way to give back, and plus promote beef at the same time.”
This is a dollar-for-dollar match campaign partnership with beef bucks and beef certificates being distributed to healthcare workers.
Monument will distribute the beef bucks and beef certificates to the front line workers as see fit, the bucks and certificates work like cash to go toward beef products.
Beef jerky is also being supplied to some hospital break rooms for an added boost of protein energy.
Cory Ferguson, Community Relations Specialist with Monument Health, says, “Beef is healthy mainly as a part of your overall diet, and beef is king in South Dakota, and so we want to do our part to help support that initiative and make sure that people have a good, healthy/balanced diets.”
At the end of the day, this is all about community and taking care of one another through difficult times.
Shaw says, “We feel like it’s a win, win for everybody – we are injecting money into the community and we are thanking people, and our producers are providing a product and moving some products as well.”
South Dakota is home to nearly 14,000 beef farmers and ranchers.
Ferguson says, “You know, it’s great to be able to support and form this partnership and support our local ag community, our local ranchers, our local beef economy and during these tough times and do something great for everyone involved.”
The South Dakota Beef Industry Council works on behalf of South Dakota beef producers through the $1 Beef Checkoff program.
For more information on the Beef Checkoff and statewide efforts click here and or click here.
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