Watertown United Way, Codington Connects Highlight Youth Health, Literacy Programs and $655K Fundraising Drive

Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - In our weekly broadcast on Northeast Radio SD, Sara Foust, Board President of Codington Connects, and Lisa Dahl, Executive Director of the Watertown Area United Way, outlined key health, literacy, and safety initiatives currently serving the greater Watertown community, alongside details for the annual fundraising drive.

Strengthening Resilience Through Partnership

Codington Connects and the Watertown Area United Way share a central mission: strengthening community resilience through structured collaboration, organizational support, and accessible resources. Serving the region for 56 years, the local United Way branch directs 99 percent of collected donations back into the local community, financially supporting 28 core programs while partnering with dozens of area service agencies.

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Key Community Health & Youth Services

During the interview, Dahl highlighted several high-impact initiatives currently operational in Codington County:

·         Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library: Provides free, age-appropriate books monthly to registered children from birth through age five. To date, over 4,500 local children have graduated from the program, with 933 youth currently active.

·         Delta Dental Mobile Clinic: Visiting Watertown September 21–25, the mobile bus offers free dental exams and follow-up treatments for youth aged 0 to 21. Since 2011, the clinic has delivered over $638,550 in free care to more than 860 local youth. Appointments are required as exam availability is capped at approximately 20 remaining slots.

·         Public Access to Defibrillators (PAD): Places Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in high-density public places to reduce emergency response times during cardiac events.

2026 Fundraising Campaign & Donor Incentives

Chaired by community volunteers Andy and Abby Turbak, the annual United Way campaign has established a fundraising goal of $655,000. To encourage local participation, two primary donor incentives have been established for the current drive:

1.     $5,000 Room Makeover: Sponsored by Montgomery's, open to first-time donors giving $52, existing donors increasing pledges by $52, or members of the Heart Club ($500+ annual donation).

2.     16-Person Shamrock Suite Package: Donated by Driscoll's Watertown Ford Chrysler and Bobcat of Watertown in honor of America's Semiquincentennial. Donors making a pledge or contribution of $250 or more prior to September 30th are automatically entered.

Community members and local businesses interested in participating via direct contribution, recurring billing, or workplace payroll deductions can register online at watertownunitedway.org or call the local office at 605-886-5811.