---
title: Family Donates $1M to Custer State Park
date: 2014-11-07T14:40:00-06:00
author: Click Rain Admin
canonical_url: "https://www.custerresorts.com/news/family-donates-1m-to-custer-state-park"
section: News Posts
---
![Rock spires span the horizon](https://d1y6vw2yu4dxpf.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/Homepage/hero-bg.jpg?mode=crop&pos=center-center&w=60&h=35&c=09202b46&v=cb498ca5cb09cac152ddc89723a7292b40a2ba188d007f6df4ccf666f768fd22)  [Back to News](https://www.custerresorts.com/news)# Family Donates $1M to Custer State Park

  [Archives](https://www.custerresorts.com/news?category=archives) | November 7, 2014  

      ![Members of the SDPWF with the Daugaards](https://d1y6vw2yu4dxpf.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/News/Family_Donates_1M_to_Custer.jpeg?mode=crop&pos=center-center&w=60&h=35&c=c93c4f8e&v=24a88042a02fad4687f37114af7f5cd117579c2d670497c47f40ad3b1a154ff8)  *South Dakota Public Broadcasting* announced that a Sioux Falls foundation, the James and Eloise Elmen Foundation, is donating $1 million for a new visitor center at Custer State Park. SDPB wrote:

> A Sioux Falls foundation is donating $1 million to help construct a new visitor center at Custer State Park. The grant comes from the James and Eloise Elmen Foundation.
> 
> Governor Dennis Daugaard calls it a substantial gift to constructing a $5 million world-class visitor center.
> 
> "With this donation, they’re making sure that we’ll have a visitor center in Custer State Park that both the people of today and the next generation will say, ‘Oh wow!’ – just like they say ‘Oh, wow!’ when they see Mount Rushmore and when they see Crazy Horse," Daugaard says. "The end result of this donation will be a visitor center that will inspire and motivate people to live life with enthusiasm, appreciation, kindness, gratitude and generosity."
> 
> Daugaard says the Elmen Foundation has donated to countless community projects and statewide efforts including restoring bridges along the Mickelson trail and establishing Good Earth State Park.
> 
> The leader of the South Dakota Parks and Wildlife Foundation says the organization can use this grant to raise an additional $800,000 for the project. The foundation dedicated $2 million to the Custer State Park visitor center last year. Members committed to seeking another $3 million in private funding.

[Read the article on South Dakota Public Broadcasting](http://listen.sdpb.org/post/family-donates-1m-custer-state-park)