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Sioux Falls Storm

Sioux Falls Storm to Exceed $100,000 in 2015 Charitable Programs

June 15, 2015 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Sioux Falls Storm News Release


Sioux Falls Storm Check Presentation
Sioux Falls Storm Check Presentation
(Sioux Falls Storm)

Sioux Falls, SD- The Sioux Falls Storm has held numerous fundraisers to help members and businesses around the Sioux Falls area. Late season projections will show the Storm as having contributed well over $100,000 in just cash contributions not to mention the several hundreds of hours put forth in team appearances at charitable events by the Storm Lightning Girls, Storm Promo Girls and Storm Players.

At each home game, starting with the February 15th pre-season game, the Storm has hosted a fundraiser. The first event was in partnership with Arby's Restaurant to help support the Sioux Falls BackPack Program that raised $11,213.

At the season home opener (March 28), the Storm worked up a private fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club of the Sioux Empire that was held in conjunction with NFL Star Riley Reiff of the Detroit Lions. The Storm presented the Boys & Girls Club of the Sioux Empire with a donation check for $1,000 and saw several hundreds of kids be able to enjoy a Storm game as a result.

Through the Storm's fundraising effort, a sixth grade student from Memorial Middle School received a brand new handicap accessible bicycle that was presented on the field at the April 11th home game. The fundraiser generated well over $5,000 dollars that paid for the bicycle and allowed the Storm to donate a surplus amount of funds to the school to use for playground equipment and other internal items of need.

During the Storm's home game on Friday, May 8th, the organization rallied around a nine year old Sioux Falls elementary school student from R.F. Pettigrew that was diagnosed with brain cancer. The club donated portions of their game ticket revenue and held a special Touchdown Drive promotion to go with a silent auction of sports memorabilia and local gifts. The fundraiser generated $26,883 to help support the Quinn Pesicka Benefit Fund.

The Storm came to aid of the people that live in Delmont, SD immediately following the news of the Tornado that struck their community. The Storm donated revenue from their ticket sales and donated several hundreds of dollars to the Disaster Relief Fund established by the American Red Cross from the May 16th home game.

The Storm held two different Jersey Raffles during the season in which the players took off their game-worn uniforms and handed them to the fans that supported a raffle sale. The beneficiaries were the American Cancer Society on May 16th during a Fight Against Cancer night promotion and Operation Homefront on June 6th during a Military Night fundraiser. Operation Homefront provides emergency financial, counseling and recovery support for service men & women in the Military.

The Storm partnered with Johnstone Supply Company and Coleman Heating & Air Conditioning on June 10th for the first annual Chip In For Heroes golf outing. The event brought in a donation of $11,831 for Operation Homefront.

The Sioux Falls Storm has also partnered with Cory Johnsen for the Sack for Cash campaign. Sacks for Cash is a charitable program founded in 2008 by Cory Johnsen in conjunction with the Sioux Falls Storm. Funds are donated per sack the Storm Thunder Defense tallies during a season. Each year a new nonprofit organization is chosen to receive donations. The program has raised $6,589 of its $10,000 goal. All money goes to Volunteers of America, Dakotas Veteran's Programs. The money will directly benefit their Veteran's Outreach Program, Berakhuh House, and Veteran's Per Diem program. If you would like to be a donor please contact Cory Johnsen.

As the season gets set to wind up, the Storm have plans to host several more cause-related fundraisers at their June 20th home game and during the IFL Conference Playoff Finals on June 27th. In addition, the Storm will donate 100% of all accumulated funds that have been donated to the brand new Taken By Storm Community Fund following the conclusion of the playoffs.

The Taken By Storm Fund, which was developed by the Storm organization prior to the start of the 2015 season, has been supported by team sponsors such as CenturyLink, which sponsors the Storm ThunderBall Toss at every home game and will match all fundraising revenue up to $3,000 brought in from each promotion. The Lewis Stores have been selling Storm sponsored grocery product items all season that feature a special Taken By Storm Fund Sticker on such popular brands as Country Hearth Bread, Frito-Lay, Land O'Lakes, Our Family Macaroni & Cheese and Pepsi Beverages with a percentage of every sale being donated to the Taken By Storm Fund by the store vendors.

"It has been a fantastic season on and off the field," said Jim Loria, the Storm's Director of Corporate Partnerships. "We can never control the outcome of the games on the field but we can certainly impact the outcome away from it. Thanks to Todd Tryon (Storm Owner), the organization has significantly raised the bar for community contributions for area sports teams and within the Indoor Football League and we expect to raise that bar each and every year going forward".




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Sioux Falls Storm Check Presentation
Sioux Falls Storm Check Presentation
   

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