Yellow Rose Week 2018- A Reason to Stop and Smell the Roses!
Yellow Rose Week was celebrated in northeastern South Dakota June 4-8, 2018. Yellow Rose Week is an annual campaign that is the primary means of financing the Suzanne Jacobson Memorial Fund (SJMF), a service of the Prairie Lakes Healthcare Foundation in Watertown, SD. The SJMF, also referred to as the “Give Help” Fund, provides grants to people in Prairie Lakes’ service area with life-threatening illnesses who are in need of financial assistance due to a medical crisis. Grants assist with the cost of medications, transportation, rent, utilities, groceries and other needs deemed necessary by the SJMF Committee. Since its inception in 1999, the SJMF has provided approximately $325,718 through 682 grants.
Volunteers in Clark, Clear Lake, Kranzburg, Milbank, Rauville, Sisseton, South Shore, Summit, Watertown and Waverly sold yellow roses for the 2018 campaign. With yellow rose sales and other contributions, $28,631 was raised for the SJMF during the week long campaign. How fabulous!
“Yellow Rose Week is the main source of funding for the SJMF. We could not provide the magnitude of grants without a successful Yellow Rose Week campaign year after year. Dedicated volunteers, as well as gracious donors, businesses and purchasers make this possible. Without them all, we would not be able to help individuals facing a financial crisis due to a life threatening illness.” said Alison Gilbertson, Executive Director of the Prairie Lakes Healthcare Foundation. Yellow Rose Week is an annual campaign held during the first full week in June.
Suzanne Jacobson spent her adult life as a physician’s assistant positively impacting those she cared for. She lost a battle with cancer in 1998. Her family and friends established this fund to honor her legacy by helping people facing major medical financial stresses.
