In this part of the world, we’re no strangers to unpredictable winters. But what happens if you’re facing a medical emergency coupled with white-out conditions outside your door? That’s where West River Health Services comes in. 

Located in Hettinger, North Dakota, the clinic provides comprehensive health and wellness services for the citizens and visitors to their neck of the woods. The West River Health Services Foundation serves to provide fundraising and development services for the clinic as well as for the clinic’s retirement community, Western Horizons Living Centers.

This Giving Hearts Day, West River Health Services Foundation took third place in fundraising for the medium budget category. How did they do it? They took to the basketball courts and the produce aisle!

Teaming up with local sponsors, the Foundation hosted two “Giving Hearts Basketball Nights” in Scranton and New England, North Dakota leading up to Giving Hearts Day. The gyms were turned red for the festivities, with the jam-packed games featuring T-shirt giveaways, a comfy couch auction, and former legends and current greats battling it out in a “free-throws for pledges” contest. Admission and popcorn fees were covered for the fans, with the ask to pay it forward to West River Health Services Foundation’s Giving Hearts Day campaign. Talk about a slam dunk! 

Over at the local grocery store, Kennedy’s Fresh Foods, the Foundation hosted a produce promotion. Shoppers could pay $20 for a bag that they could fill to their heart’s desire with fresh fruits and veggies, with $5 of each bag going back to the Foundation. The team also connected with customers at the checkouts, where they were invited to donate right then and there. Between the grocery bag sales and additional donations, the event brought in a total of $2,850.

The West River Health Services Foundation is a pillar in Hettinger and its surrounding area. Their Giving Hearts Day campaign is a community-wide effort, and dollars raised will pour right back into that same community. In fact, the Foundation raised enough this year to purchase a new ambulance for the hospital! 

A two-hour jaunt from Bismarck, West River Health Services is the closest option for Hettinger residents, and their reach even expands to patients in nearby communities. Especially when it comes to the unpredictable North Dakota winters, the peace of mind that a nearby medical center brings – and not to mention, a way to get there – is priceless.

GHD Awards are co-sponsored by Bush Foundation and Dakota Medical Foundation.