Rosebud veteran changing the lives of youth

Monday, November 11, 2019  

PIERRE – Following his retirement from the United States Marine Corps, Dion Reynolds brought his military experience back to Rosebud to change the lives of reservation youth.

When Reynolds approached the Boys and Girls Club on the Rosebud Reservation, it was a much different place than it is today. The infrastructure needed some attention, as did the board which was managing the organization and its funding.

Today, the Boys and Girls Club is out of the red when it comes to finances, and students are able to travel and take incentive trips. These trips expose youth to life outside of the reservation and give them a glimpse into the possibilities and opportunities outside of their communities.

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Dion Reynolds was an E8 Gunnery Sergeant who served as Drill Instructor in Parris Island with 4 years in Japan (1 year in Okinawa and 3 years in Iwakuni Japan). He did one tour to the Middle East in Iraq/Kuwait OIF 3 (Operation Iraqi Freedom) and has one Navy Commendation Medal, three Navy Achievement Medals, and two National Defense Medals. Reynolds spent most of his career in Camp Pendleton, CA, and 29 Palms CA. 

In 2012, Reynolds became a board member for the Boys and Girls Club. The club spans the reservations with facilities in Rosebud, Mission and Parmalee.

“I became a board member in 2012 and worked hard to change the concepts of the board and organization to mirror the certain aspects of the military, when it comes to timelines and accountability,” he said. “I was elected as the board chairman in 2015 and continue to fill that seat today.”

As a board member and now chairman of the board, Reynolds has made it part of his life’s mission to improve the club for the youth, this includes oversight, accountability and improving the services provided.

“We provide many educational programs that center around education, values, and health. Over the summer, we have a little league baseball program known as ‘Thunder Baseball’ which expands our organizations reach to nine communities across the reservation.”

One of the programs he is most proud of is called "Marathon Kids." This program tasks youth to run 1-2 miles per day until they reach the goal of 26.2 miles (this is the total length of a marathon). For doing this, the youth receive a certificate of achievement and improve their own physical health.

“We also collaborate with Rosebud Economic Development Corporation (REDCO) to provide the children with cooking skills where they make healthy Native foods,” he said.

His goal is to get children working on improving their overall health.

For more information, or to follow the many adventures and activities of the Boys and Girls Club on the Rosebud Reservation, look for them on Facebook at Boys & Girls Club of Rosebud.

Contact Native Sun News Today Correspondent Richie Richards at richie4175@gmail.com

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