RAPID CITY, S.D. – Black Hills Federal Credit Union will host its first annual Drive to Improve Lives charitable golf tournament on Thursday, Sept. 17, at The Club at Red Rocks in Rapid City. The event brings together 26 teams and 104 golfers to raise funds for the Black Hills FCU Charitable Fund, directly benefiting the organization’s School Support Drive.

Seeing 26 teams come together for a brand-new event like this one, tells us this community shows up when asked, said Holli Edwards, vice president of marketing. Every swing on the course will translate directly into classroom wish lists fulfilled, school improvement projects funded, and lunch debt relief for students who need it most.

Fourteen local business sponsors are backing the Rapid City event through hole sponsorships, cart and food station branding, and other tournament activations. Four teams, including first responders and local school administration and representatives, are participating through in-kind contributions. Financial support was also provided by business vendors committed to the credit union’s mission.

Proceeds from the tournament will support the 2026 School Support Drive, a program now in its 30th year. The drive funds classroom wish lists, school projects, and student lunch debt relief across the communities served by BHFCU. Last year, the initiative contributed more than $40,000 to assist local students and educators.

There’s nothing more motivating than knowing a day on the golf course turns into real support for a classroom or teacher down the street, said Joey Rotert, vice president of member experience. We’re excited to make this an annual tradition and look forward to driving our mission even further through the golf tournament in the years to come.

BHFCU intends to establish the Drive to Improve Lives tournament as an annual event in Rapid City to maintain its long-standing commitment to education. Established in Rapid City in 1941, the member-owned financial cooperative serves more than 117,000 members across South Dakota and Montana.