Northern Today_Nov-2018

NORTHERN TODAY 4 FALL 2018 NORTHERN NEWS SDSBVI Groundbreaking More than 100 people attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the new South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired on Oct. 17. NUMEROUS SDSBVI students and staff members attended the groundbreaking, as well as Gov. Dennis Daugaard, city officials, representatives of NSU, and others involved with the project. The ceremony was held in the parking lot north of the former site of Jerde Hall. The new School for the Blind and Visually Impaired is one of three projects of the Educational Impact Campaign. The new SDSBVI facility will be constructed at the former Jerde site, with a projected completion date of fall 2019. THE CAMPAIGN currently sits at $44 million, officials announced at Northern Night, the NSU Foundation’s annual fundraising gala. It was just last year when the official campaign was announced, with $25 million in pledges at the time. “We’re thrilled at the immense support this campaign has received from individual donors, area businesses, the city of Aberdeen and the Governor’s Future Fund,” said NSU President Dr. Tim Downs, campaign co-chair. “To raise $44 million to date is remarkable. We couldn’t be more pleased with how this campaign has progressed.” The amount was met thanks in part to a recent pledge from Sanford Health. This donation, along with an extension of Northern’s athletic training agreement with Sanford, will include naming rights within the new regional sports complex. “Sanford continues to be a great partner, and we can’t thank them enough for this generous gift,” Downs said. “They are one of many community partners who support our university. We’re thankful for everyone’s generous support of this campaign.” The Educational Impact Campaign, a collaborative effort between Northern, the South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and the NSU Foundation, also includes a new SDSBVI building and the Athletic and Recreation Fields project. Campaign Goal Adjusted Now with sufficient funding secured for the SDSBVI and fields project, the focus shifts to the sports complex, and the goal has been adjusted. The campaign committee, NSU Foundation, Foundation board and the university have agreed on an adjusted capital campaign goal of $55 million. Campaign co-chair Jim Thares, a South Dakota Board of Regents member, said the committee wants to keep building on the forward momentum surrounding the campaign. “We’ve asked you to dream with us – but now it’s time to dream even bigger.” Construction Costs Increasing The additional funding is needed because of increased material and construction costs, which have risen as much as 20-25 percent over the past few years. Also, some pledges extend over a longer period of time than anticipated, therefore incurring more interest expense. Downs said Northern is grateful the NSU Foundation is able to work with Brown County to save financing costs. “This adjusted goal will ensure exceptional design of our buildings and create truly first-class facilities, contributing to an outstanding overall student experience at Northern,” Downs said. The sports complex will include Dacotah Bank Stadium and Koehler Hall of Fame Softball Field. Construction could begin on the new facility near the site of the current SDSBVI by 2019. Stadium completion is projected fall 2021. Educational Impact Campaign reaches $44 million The Educational Impact Campaign has received so much support from around the region that it has nearly reached its original goal of $45 million.