Journey of Hope Phase 2: Therapy Pool, Gym, & Safe Access Added to Children’s Campus
One year ago, on April 12, 2024, LifeScape broke ground on Phase 1 of a new children’s campus in Sioux Falls. Walls now enclose much of the structure — the pediatric rehabilitation specialty hospital, the specialty school, the residential area, and the administration space. We are so grateful for the many donors who have helped…
Being a surrogate parent is a life changer
By Kathy DenOtter, Montrose, SD I started volunteering in a classroom two years ago at LifeScape. My daughter teaches there and asked if I’d like to volunteer at school. Without hesitation I said, “Sure! I’d love to.” That is the moment when God’s plan started to unfold before my very eyes. I met a little…
Gifts of land sought for new adult homes
In 2020, LifeScape launched a “five new houses in five years” plan to upgrade housing for the adults we support. The fifth house in that project, Washington Home, opened in April 2025, with eight adults relocating to a brand-new, beautiful home in northeast Sioux Falls. This project has been possible through a funding partnership with…
Community Partner: The Wellmark Foundation
Providing better mental health outcomes for children With a $250,000 gift to the LifeScape Journey of Hope campaign for the new Children’s Services facility, the Wellmark Foundation is beginning an exciting new partnership with LifeScape. The Wellmark Foundation gift will provide a dedicated testing and assessment room for conducting functional behavioral assessments (FBAs) and functional…
LifeScape Celebrates the Opening of its 5th Adult Residential Home in 5 Years!
Sioux Falls, SD – LifeScape held a ribbon cutting at their newest adult residential home in eastern Sioux Falls. The total investment into the latest duplex is more than $1.4 million, thanks to funds raised by the LifeScape Foundation and community partners. This marks the fifth adult residential duplex opened in the past five years,…
Final gift boosts 31st annual MallWalk total to $100,000!
At the end of the 31st annual MallWalk on February 1st, 2025, five kids held up individual placards announcing the amazing fundraising total of $98,723. That’s when LifeScape Board of Directors Chair Bob McNaney announced that a final gift has boosted the total to $100,000! The beloved event at the Empire Mall drew 47 teams…
Rogan’s story: “We can see his capabilities. LifeScape just helps him get there.”
Each Monday, Ashley Schmidt of Brookings drives her three-year-old son, Rogan, to LifeScape Rehabilitation Center in Sioux Falls. There he gets back-to-back speech, occupational, and physical therapy. “They just ‘get’ him,” says Rogan’s dad, Brad. “LifeScape helps him be his best self.” Rogan was born with Smith–Lemli–Opitz Syndrome (SLOS), which is an inability to make…
Carl & Marietta Soukup honored as Outstanding Philanthropists of the year
Congratulations to Carl and Marietta Soukup, honored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals as South Dakota’s Outstanding Philanthropists of 2024! Carl and Marietta made one of the very first gifts to LifeScape’s Journey of Hope, to build a new children’s services facility. This is just one of countless gifts they’ve made in the Sioux Falls…
Lyla: Fighting back from cancer
In the fall of 2019, 15-month-old Lyla Johnson of Rapid City was clearly not feeling well. Her mom, Mikayla, brought her to Urgent Care with what she thought was an ear infection. She had no idea how drastically their lives were about to change. The nurse practitioner noticed Lyla’s belly seemed distended and sent the…
Lyon County Riverboat Foundation funds interactive therapy system at LifeScape
Lyon County Riverboat Foundation funds interactive therapy system at LifeScape Our thanks to the Lyon County Riverboat Foundation for their $3,000 grant to purchase a Mobii Magic Surface system for children’s therapy. The Mobii is a mobile, height-adjustable system that provides interactive sensory activities on tables and floors. It comes pre-loaded with 300 sensory activities…
Hamsters USA raise $371,700 for special kids at LifeScape in Rapid City, South Dakota
Hamsters USA raise $371,700 for special kids at LifeScape in Rapid City, South Dakota For the past 19 years during Rally Week, the international motorcycle group Hamsters USA has gone out of their way to help Black Hills area kids grow up strong. Their annual fundraiser for LifeScape Rapid City was held August 5th, 2024,…
LifeScape is building bright futures in housing for adults
Five years, five new homes In 2020, LifeScape broke ground on a new home for adults with disabilities in a “five new houses in five years” plan. That house, Continuum Home, opened in February 2021. It was the first of its kind in South Dakota—designed in partnership with the South Dakota Department of Human Services…
Christmas in July
July 12, 2025 | 11:00am – 6:30pm Registration: 11AM – 12PM at LifeScape, 2501 W 26th St, Sioux Falls, SD 57105 2025 stops: Kelley’s Bar 355 N Main Ave, Parker, SD 57053 Lennox US Military Vets Clubhouse, 118 S. Main Street, Lennox, SD 57039 Chancellor Bar, 301 Main St, Chancellor, SD 57015 Phoenix Lounge, 305…
Camp Bravo
August 3rd – 8th, 2025 Edith Mortenson Theater at Augustana University Camp Bravo is designed for people of all abilities ages 8-30. Put together by the LifeScape Center for the Arts and the Black Hills Playhouse Junior, campers will work on building a show, theater games, arts & crafts, theatre design, making new friends, and…
LifeScape embarks on Journey of Hope for Children’s Services
Hope took a major step forward for South Dakota families on April 12, 2024, with the groundbreaking for a new Children’s Services Campus in Sioux Falls. It was a joyful day, as several hundred people, including donors, families, business leaders, and dignitaries—turned out to celebrate. Front and center with shovels in hand were several children…
Jeff Hazard’s vision prevails with new children’s services design
Long into the future, Sioux Falls will bear the mark of the late architect Jeff Hazard. When he died of leukemia in 2019, tributes hailed his work on many of the most creative and high-profile buildings in the area. Now, one of his last projects will start to take shape, the new children’s facility for…
KFC Foundation funds young adult learning at LifeScape
Our gratitude goes out to the KFC Foundation for a $10,000 “Kentucky Fried Wishes” grant that has provided LifeScape with a specialized workforce readiness curriculum for young adults. The curriculum, Project Discovery, was developed by Education Associates, of Louisville, KY. It is designed to retain students through high school by engaging their interest in career…
MallWalk #30 Raises Over $100,000!
What a way to celebrate the big 3-0! The 30 anniversary MallWalk on Saturday met and exceeded its $100,000 goal! We had 34 teams with 300 registered walkers, raising a total of $101,842! By the end of February, the total was $103,682! For comparison, last year’s total was $78,477! Smiley Goats , led by the…
