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Hotels Donate Stays To Red Cross

Kealey Bultena
/
SDPB

American Red Cross leaders say 19 hotels in the Sioux Falls area are partners in the new Rooms for Red Cross campaign. The businesses make rooms available at no charge to help people in need. That frees up other resources for Red Cross dollars.

This first year, hotels in Sioux Falls and the surrounding area are donating 245 individual nights in their facilities. Tony Burke is Community Chapter Executive Officer of the Red Cross in Sioux Falls. He says the Rooms for Red Cross campaign serves people who are suddenly homeless.

"This program will help the individual families from fire, tornado or other life-changing events to get on the road to recovery. It will support our military folks and family members who find themselves in needs of assistance. It will give our staff members who are traveling on behalf of the Red Cross for disasters planning and preparedness as a way to come together in the Dakotas region, therefore leaving more dollars to support our citizens throughout our Dakotas region," Burke says.

The rooms for the American Red Cross can be one night stays, or coordinators can accommodate longer stays as people find a new home after an emergency.

Ray Sorensen is the disaster program manager for the American Red Cross in Sioux Falls. He says families who lose their homes or apartments in emergencies are often paralyzed by shock.

"They don’t know what to do next. They don’t know how to take those first steps to start rebuilding their lives," Sorensen says. "So when our volunteers can tell that family, you know what, we’re going to get you a room for the next few nights, it takes a huge load off of their plate right there."

Since January, the Red Cross program has already used more than 40 rooms to support people displaced from their homes.

The following hotels are partners in the Rooms for Red Cross campaign:
Best Western Plus Ramkota Hotel
Ramada Sioux Falls Airport Hotel and Suites
Holiday Inn Sioux Falls - City Centre
Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Sioux Falls – Brandon
Hilton Garden Inn Sioux Falls Downtown
Clubhouse Hotel & Suites
Staybridge Suites Sioux Falls at Empire Mall
Comfort Inn – Brandon
Residence Inn Sioux Falls by Marriott
Brimark Inn Sioux Falls
Super 8 Motel – 10th Street Sioux Falls
Sleep Inn – Airport
Red Roof Inn Sioux Falls
Days Inn Sioux Falls Airport
Days Inn Empire – Sioux Falls
Value Place Hotel – Sioux Falls
Candlewood Suites
Ramada Sioux Falls

Kealey Bultena grew up in South Dakota, where her grandparents took advantage of the state’s agriculture at nap time, tricking her into car rides to “go see cows.” Rarely did she stay awake long enough to see the livestock, but now she writes stories about the animals – and the legislature and education and much more. Kealey worked in television for four years while attending the University of South Dakota. She started interning with South Dakota Public Broadcasting in September 2010 and accepted a position with television in 2011. Now Kealey is the radio news producer stationed in Sioux Falls. As a multi-media journalist, Kealey prides herself on the diversity of the stories she tells and the impact her work has on people across the state. Kealey is always searching for new ideas. Let her know of a great story! Find her on Facebook and twitter (@KealeySDPB).