SuAnne Big Crow
PINE RIDGE, SOUTH DAKOTA –– A 20th anniversary event will be hosted by the SuAnne Big Crow Boys & Girls Club on Saturday, June 2 to celebrate and honor two generations of club members, partners, supporters, volunteers and communities. The event will include a Lakota lunch at noon followed by a traditional ceremony from 1-3 p.m. “The story behind the event is one I think (everyone) would be interested in,” said Linda Mundy, the club’s communications director, in an email to Native Sun News, “a tragic death (in a 1992 car accident) of a young (Oglala) Lakota athlete and scholar (SuAnne Big Crow) inspires her family to serve youth in the community, a visit by Bill Clinton to Pine Ridge, (joining) several government agencies, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America to begin an initiative to help youth in Indian country; a new Club is built in Pine Ridge, and nearly 200 Clubs now exist in Indian country.” One of the major sponsors of the event is the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation out of Baltimore. Club sponsorships for youth are still available through the foundation. For more information, go to www.ripkenfoundation.org. Founded in 1992, the SuAnne Big Crow Boys & Girls Club was the first club for boys and girls in Indian country. The club serves an average of 500 youth annually, helping members maintain positive lifestyles, serve the community and become scholars, athletes and leaders of the future. In 2002, Boys & Girls Clubs of America collaborated with several federal agencies to construct a brand new 30,000 square-foot, $6 million building for the youth of the Pine Ridge Reservation. The movement that began on Pine Ridge has grown into a national network of nearly 200 boys and girls clubs that serve more than 87,000 Native American youth in 25 states. These clubs provide safe and caring environments by offering fun and culturally appropriate programs, caring adult professionals and opportunities for youth to realize great futures. For further information or to schedule an interview with Leatrice “Chick” Big Crow, executive director, or a board of directors member, contact Mundy at (443) 995-4769.
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