Happy Thursday,
This last weekend we visited my husband’s dad who is pretty near the end of his long battle with cancer. It’s been over a decade coming, so even though that doesn’t make it easy, it’s not unexpected. When someone dies it always leaves a hole, and not least of all because a lot of their family history and experiences die with them. We spent a part of the weekend visiting about the family tree, and realized kind of startlingly how little we know about even the big decisions our fairly recent ancestors made. Why did relatives come from Virginia, go to Washington and then what seems suddenly come back to Nebraska? How quickly the past seems to recede from us, each moment fleeting as we speed forward and away from it through time. And yet, we wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for those relatives we know almost nothing about. Their memory is quickly gone but an irrevocable part of us as well.
These last few months have all been a strange time as we faced our own mortality, refocused hopefully on our goals and our families. But life continues, people continue to be born, die, get married, fall in love, and get their hearts broken.
We’re coming up quickly to our next big event in Lead, Gold Camp Jubilee over the Labor Day Weekend. I hope it can become a great time to remember our past, to celebrate what made Lead so wonderful and to never forget our humble beginnings. Our last public planning meeting will be next week on Wednesday, August 19 at 2pm here at the Visitor Center. The main events are set, but this will be the final time to make sure you and your business are included in what’s going on if you are interested. We are working hard to make this event memorable and safe. We also want to celebrate our community and offer a reprieve from some of the stress of this year.
______ Events Around Lead _____
Saturday, 8/15 – Explores Fitness & Adventures will be hosting their monthly group hike. From their Facebook page: “Join us for a short hike on the Homestake Trail to spend time reflecting and meditating outdoors. We encourage you to bring a journal! There is no cost to join us on this hike! Meet at the Lead Dog Park at 8am.”
Monday, 8/17 – The Good Shepherd Clinic in Spearfish will be reopening today. Check their website for more details: goodshepherdclinicspearfish.com
Wednesday, 8/19 – Gold Camp Jubilee Public Planning meeting 3 of 3. This will be the last chance to make sure your member event is on the master schedule and to be sure your business registered to participate in our events. We’ll meet in the classroom at the Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center where there’s lots of room to spread out.
Thursday, 8/20 – 5-7pm, August Pie Social and chamber mixer! This month we’re happy to be sponsored by Bloomers Flowers and Cakes. They’ll be making treats so you won’t want to miss this! These events have been a great time to relax and enjoy the evening. We’ll have some music, pie, drinks and just a chance to hang out outside and visit. We’ll continue hosting this on the Ray Davis Ring Patio right outside the Visitor Center.
Save the Dates (more details in next week’s email):
Friday, 8/21 – 12pm, History on the Lawn at the Adams House Museum
Saturday, 8/22 – Auditions for the Children’s Play at the Homestake Opera House
Sunday, 8/23 – Celebration of Women’s Suffrage at the Homestake Opera House
_____General Notes_____
We’re looking for volunteers for our Gold Camp Jubilee Events: Golf Tournament (also looking for golfers!), Dinner servers, information booth and Yahtzee Run helpers and general volunteers for the event. If you can help us for one or a few of these opportunities please let me know by replying right to this email! We’ll be forever grateful for your help!
We want to give a shout out to the Rapid City Rush for volunteering their time to come help us at the Visitor Center with some landscaping work. As a stand alone non profit we are having a particularly difficult year and we’re forever grateful for volunteers who make this building run more smoothly.
There SOO many jobs! If you’re looking for employment please contact me and I can help connect you with a few different awesome opportunities. As of now, I don’t have any remote employment things but if you have jobs you’d like to fill please let me know as well since I often can connect people together.
The Black Hills Pioneer will be doing a special Gold Camp Jubilee section and if you’d like to advertise they’re giving a great deal to Lead businesses for this special Lead section. Call today! Call Ingrid at (605)642-2761
Want to sponsor Gold Camp Jubilee? Even small sponsorships help, or you can purchase something exciting and specific. Give me a call to see how you and your business might be able to participate!
Thanks for reading, near and far! I love to hear from all of you and I’m very happy to hear that I can bring a smile and some fond memories of Lead to mind. Thanks for all your sweet replies and notes. It sometimes gets hard to bang out these emails week after week but knowing you’re reading makes it totally worthwhile! Thanks for your support of the Chamber and of Lead!
With Love from Lead,
Sierra Ward