Our facility in Winner, SD has created a relationship with a “local” (40 miles away) Indian Tribal University to provide a site for LPN clinicals. The initial purpose of this relationship was to get our foot in the door for LPN’s before they even graduate. It wasn’t until after we committed ourselves to being one of the first “culture change” championing facilities in South Dakota that we realized the greater potential of this relationship.

The clinical students put us into contact with the Sinte Gleska University Special Needs Riding Program. The program was intended for disabled children, but after hearing one of our 90-year-old residents say how much she loved to ride as a small girl, and would love to ride again one more time, we contacted SGU, and they brought their trainers, horses, and all the gear to our rodeo arena to provide 2 residents an opportunity to dig in their spurs and ride!

A TV station from Sioux Falls, SD traveled the 3+ hours to our facility to do a Sunday special on this event, and we have continued to make residents’ dreams come true with our “Make a Memory” program, providing residents opportunities from piloting an airplane to just attending livestock auctions, to just grabbing ice cream at McDonald’s.

Our relationship with SGU played an early and vital role in our transformation to a special place that champions the individuality of the people living here, and has and will continue to bring more and more opportunities to their students, our residents, and everyone involved.