This December 3, join us on The Day of Giving and contribute to the Black Hills Playhouse (BHP) Giving Tree! Your generosity helps us light up the season with gratitude and ensures our programs thrive. No gift is too small—every donation makes a difference, and we cherish the support in any amount.
For 2024, your contributions to the Giving Tree will directly support the BHP’s BE LIKE THE BUFFALO campaign to build a sense of BELONGING, STRENGTH, RESILIENCE, and AUTHENTICITY for the youth of South Dakota.
How Your Gift Helps:
- Statewide Theatre Residencies
Our Education Department, based in Sioux Falls, sends dedicated teams of professional actor / directors to communities across South Dakota to engage imaginations and help kids learn through theatre. These week-long residencies empower up to 55 elementary and middle school students to rehearse and perform a one-act musical, culminating in a magical performance. In smaller towns with fewer kids they provide fun theatre workshops and help kids learn through through arts. We hope to provide assistance for 24 locations that need extra help to host a theatre residency since our funding from the SD Arts Council has already been pledged. Students gain resilience, strength, and collaboration skills that give them a strong sense of achievement. Please help our youth Be Like a Buffalo and support us today!
- Summer Performing Arts Camps
Each summer, we host two intensive sleep-away theatre camps at Placerville Camp—one for grades 5–8 and another for grades 8–12. Kids from all over the region meet other kids who love theatre and work on their skills. These camps host 50 talented young participants each week where they engage in workshops, rehearsals, and performances led by theatre professionals. Held out in the beautiful Black Hills National Forest, kids get to unplug from technology and plug into nature. Participants make memories that last a lifetime and inspire their arts journey. The week concludes with a free performance for family and friends where kids get to show off what they’ve created together. We do our best to never turn a family away and raise dollars from donors to help kids in need. By participating in the BHP Giving Tree, you’re helping us continue to inspire creativity, build community, and empower youth by Sending Kids to Camp!
The Impact of Your Gifts:
- We provide every camp participant with t-shirts, a camp photo, and tickets to a show at the Black Hills Playhouse. Additionally, family members get tickets at ½ price. A gift of $25.00-$99.00 will help cover t-shirts, photos, and ticket costs.
- Each Tour community receives significant materials well in advance of their residency to help recruit kids, manage the residency, and publicize the experience. Your gift of $100.00 will cover the costs of these materials.
- The cost of a week-long sleep-away camp per student is $950.00. We are determined that no student will be turned away due to lack of funding if they want to attend our summer camps. A gift of $100.00-$250.00 help families in need regardless of their circumstances. A large number of our students require tuition assistance. Every gift of $500.00 funds the average scholarship award requested.
- Communities in isolated rural locations often require additional funding to get programs started successfully. Gifts of $501.00 or more will help these underserved communities have the opportunity to create their own musical when they book a Dakota Players Residency.
Giving Tree Levels
Cinnamon Calf
$5.00–$99.00
Bison-tennial Celebration
$100.00
Buffalo Magic
$101.00 – $250.00
Buffalo Horns
$251.00 – $500.00
Mighty Buffalo
$501.00 – $999.00
Robust Bovid
$1000.00+
Bovid Bison Boss
$5000+
Buffalo Stampede
$10,000+
By giving to the Annual Giving Tree, you’re helping us continue to inspire creativity, and authenticity, build community, and empower youth through the transformative power of theatre to create strong leaders and collaborators.