Consider this quite a day for Governor Dennis Daugaard as he lands a seven-figure gift and a visit from the President. The windfall will help an iconic South Dakota park.

It was widely known for some time that President Barack Obama would be speaking at Lake Area Techical Institute for their commencement address on Friday May 8, 2015. Earlier in the day, the Governor announced that a sizeable check will help cover the costs of funding the new state-of-the-art visitor center project at Custer State Park.

The South Dakota Parks and Wildlife Foundation (SDPWF) received a $1 million gift by the Beverly (Gerhardson) and Lloyd Paulson Family Donor Advised Fund of the Black Hills Area Community Foundation.

According to the press release issued by the Governor, Lloyd is a retired partner with Scheels All Sports. While working for Scheels, he helped guide the company’s regional and national development. Beverly and Lloyd were married 58 years when Beverly passed away in April 2009. After Beverly’s passing, Lloyd was recognized as South Dakota Philanthropist of the Year in 2013 by the SD Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Gov. Daugaard and the SDPWF publicly recognized the Paulson family during the South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks Commission meeting this morning. Lloyd was accompanied by his son Bob Paulson of Rapid City.

Once constructed, the Custer State Park Visitor Center will serve as an informational hub where visitors can go to learn about the history of the park and the wildlife that resides within its boundaries. The new facility will be located east of the Game Lodge at the intersection of Highway 16A and Wildlife Loop Road.

The construction of the facility will be funded by a combination of public and private dollars. In addition to the Paulson family, the Helmsley Charitable Trust and the James and Eloise Elmen Foundation have also each contributed a $1 million donation to the Custer State Park Visitor Center.

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