The Main youth center and Cokata Wiconi teen center are looking for sponsors to support art and athletic enrichment activities for our after-school and summer programs.

CRYP works hard to introduce the youth who attend our centers to the fundamentals of a healthy lifestyle. As part of these efforts, we will be offering weeklong lacrosse workshops in the upcoming months for both children and teens. In order to hold these classes, we will need to purchase lacrosse balls, sticks, padding, and goal sets.

The art program at CRYP is also looking to expand in the upcoming months. We are looking to introduce kids to many different forms of artistic expression, including graffiti art, pottery, and painting. To allow the kids to experiment with these new art forms, we will have many diverse needs including canvases, paint, paint brushes, clay, glazing supplies, pottery supplies, acrylic paint, spray paint, exterior paint, and sealant.

We are actively looking for people willing to make monetary or in-kind donations to fulfill these needs. You can donate online by clicking the link below or by mailing donations to the Cheyenne River Youth Project, P.O. Box 410, Eagle Butte, SD 57625.

Sponsor a Birthday Cake at The Main!

Few days in a child's life are as precious as his or her birthday. Unfortunately, for far too many underprivileged children, that day passes with little celebration - if any at all. CRYP wants to make sure that the young children who attend The Main youth center have the birthday festivities they deserve.

Each month, The Main hosts a birthday party for the children whose birthdays fall during that month. To offset the cost of each party, CRYP seeks monthly sponsors to contribute $40 for the birthday cake. Please consider sponsoring a birthday cake in 2014-15! Every dollar makes such a difference in the lives of Cheyenne River's children.

Meet Our

Board of Directors

VICE PRESIDENT
Jeremy Patterson

TREASURER
Guthrie Ducheneaux

DIRECTORS
Betsy Mitchell
Peggy Gallipo
Jeffrey Meyer
Karla Abbott
Lonnie Heier

For more info and bios, click here!

Support CRYP When You Shop Online!

What if CRYP earned a donation every time you searched the Internet? Or, what if a percentage of every online purchase you made supported our cause?

Amazon, for example, will donate 0.5% of your purchase price to CRYP when you shop at smile.amazon.com. To make shopping even easier, you can add the AmazonSmile 1 Button to your web browser.

Then there are GoodSearch and GoodShop.

GoodSearch.com is a Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up.

GoodShop.com is an online shopping mall that donates up to 30% of each purchase to your favorite cause. Hundreds of great stores have teamed up with GoodShop so that every time you place an order, you'll be supporting your favorite cause.

And, if you download the
"GoodSearch - Cheyenne River Youth Project - CRYP toolbar," our cause will earn money every time you shop and search online EVEN if you forget to go to the GoodShop or GoodSearch sites first! Click here to add the toolbar.

While you're online, you even can make a secure donation with your Capital One credit card. Simply click here. You even can add an easy-to-use widget for future contributions.

Needs List

CRYP relies on in-kind donations as well as funding to continue our mission. If you'd like to help, please check out our Needs List. You also may contact us at (605) 964-8200 if you'd like a copy of our most up-to-date list and price quotes for particular needs. Thank you for your support!

Our Mission

The Cheyenne River Youth Project is dedicated to providing the youth of the Cheyenne River reservation with access to a vibrant and secure future through a variety of culturally sensitive and enduring programs, projects and facilities, ensuring strong, self-sufficient families and communities.

October 2014 News

Enter the Waniyetu Wowapi Star Quilt Raffle & Support the Art Park!

The Cheyenne River Youth Project� is launching its annual star quilt raffle this week, with two interesting twists. First, instead of raffling off a single quilt, the 25-year-old not-for-profit youth organization will have two on hand. And, next, proceeds will support CRYP's brand-new Waniyetu Wowapi ("Winter Count") Art Park, which was just dedicated in September.

In this year's Waniyetu Wowapi Star Quilt Raffle, ticket-holders will have a chance to win a distinctive, queen-size Lakota star quilt that will mimic a dramatic graffiti mural by acclaimed Minneapolis-based artist Peyton Scott Russell. Peyton, as the artist is known professionally, created the original piece of street art this year; it's pictured in the photo above.

"Since the funds raised will support our new art park, we thought it would be a great idea to have the first quilt be inspired by the form of artistic expression that Waniyetu Wowapi celebrates," said Julie Garreau, CRYP's executive director. "Bonnie LeBeau, a Cheyenne River Sioux tribal member, will hand-craft the quilt. Bonnie Sachatello-Sawyer donated the second quilt, and we're deeply grateful to her for her support."

To purchase tickets online, simply click the button below, which will take you to our home page. Click the "Donate Now" button there, and put "Art Park Star" in the notes section when paying with a credit card. Do not write the word "raffle" anywhere in the payment.

To learn more about this year's Star Quilt Raffle, and for details regarding how to order tickets by mail and how to sell tickets, click here. Thank you for your support, and good luck!

CRYP Formally Dedicates Waniyetu Wowapi Art Park on Sept. 15

On Monday, September 15, the Cheyenne River Youth Project� formally dedicated the Waniyetu Wowapi Art Park at its East Lincoln Street campus in Eagle Butte. The innovative new park, whose name means "Winter Count" in the Lakota language, is a free, safe, public art space that will allow artists - residents and visitors alike - and community members to express their own unique voices and life experiences through graffiti art and traditional painting.

On hand for the dedication were documentarian Sara Johnson Levy and artist Aaron "Amp" Pearcy from About This Life Inc., a Rapid City, South Dakota-based organization dedicated to traveling around the world, using the arts to provide a source of hope and inspiration. While on site, Amp worked on a live piece for the park, deepening the impact of this special occasion; he painted side by side with local youth, who eagerly tackled the fresh outdoor canvases.

"We're honored that Sara and Amp were able to attend the dedication," said Julie Garreau, CRYP's executive director. "And we're incredibly excited for the future - watching the art park develop and evolve, of course, but also expanding our collaborative efforts with About This Life, Rapid City's Art Alley, and the greater arts community here in South Dakota."

Learn more about the Waniyetu Wowapi Art Park and its dedication day here. And, check out our Crowdrise page, where we're still raising funds to support the park!

Christmas Toy Drive Preparations Are Under Way

For a quarter century, CRYP has worked hard to bring Christmas to Cheyenne River through its annual Christmas Toy Drive. The journey starts each September and doesn't finish until the end of the day on December 25, and this year's journey has already begun.

Once again, CRYP staff will reach out to partners around the world to marshal the resources they need to fulfill hundreds upon hundreds of "Dear Santa" letters. Colorado high school students will collect toys for weeks, and willingly sacrifice exam study time to load a 26-foot rental truck. That truck will be transformed into a contemporary Santa's sleigh, heading out across the frozen prairie to Eagle Butte with its precious cargo.

Last year, we made sure that 1,200 children in 19 reservation communities received personalized gifts from their "Dear Santa" letters, as well as much-needed winter clothing. This year, we hope to serve 1,500, and we need your help to make this holiday miracle happen.

If you would like to support the Christmas Toy Drive this holiday season, please click here for detailed information, and don't forget to check out our list of most-requested toys. Every contribution, no matter the size, will ensure that hope reigns supreme on Cheyenne River this holiday season.

CRYP Hosts 130 Guests & Honors Eight Interns at Harvest Festival

On Wednesday, September 24, the Cheyenne River Youth Project� hosted 130 guests at its 2nd annual Community Harvest Festival Dinner. Held in the Cokata Wiconi teen center, this community-wide celebration of the 2-acre Winyan Toka Win garden and 2014 growing season included a bountiful, free community meal and a special ceremony to honor eight former teen interns.

During the summer months, 17 interns worked in the Winyan Toka Win garden, and 16 interns were devoted to the youth project's social enterprises; eight of the former interns were on hand Wednesday evening to accept certificates of completion, along with certificates recognizing their participation in various workshops.

For details about the special evening and menu, and to learn more about the interns' experiences working at CRYP's East Lincoln Street campus this summer, click here.

"We thank the members of our Cheyenne River community for attending our Community Harvest Festival Dinner, and for showing their support as we pursue our sustainable agriculture and teen leadership initiatives," said Julie Garreau, CRYP's executive director. "Together, we're demonstrating how a community can work toward real food sovereignty and security, and toward regaining its health physically, mentally, and spiritually through connection with the earth."

Halloween Programming Begins Oct. 22; It's Ghoul-A-Gram Time!

Next week, the Cheyenne River Youth Project� will launch its 2014 Halloween programming, a series of events designed to bring thrills and fun to community members of all ages. This year's activities, which kick off on Wednesday, October 22, will include a Halloween Carnival, a Scary Movie Marathon, CRYP's annual Haunted House, and the eagerly anticipated Ghoul-A-Grams. Learn more about the programs and activities here!

Ghoul-A-Grams will be delivered on Friday, October 31: $10 grams for a small treat, a dance, and a card; $13 grams for a bag of popcorn, a dance, and a card; and $15 grams for a caramel apple, a dance, and a card; and $20 grams for a Keya Cafe gift certificate, a dance, a card, and a small treat.

Grams can be sent to anyone, anywhere, on Cheyenne River; the ghouls will deliver the grams at 15-minute intervals from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The recipients also will receive goodie bags.

"Our theme for the grams this year is 'CarnEvil,' so we're going to let our staff members' and volunteers' imaginations run wild," said Tammy Eagle Hunter, youth programs director, who is known for transforming CRYPers into very believable ghouls through her spooky face-painting. "It's going to be so much fun, and it's an important community-wide fundraiser to support our youth programming. So consider ordering a Ghoul-A-Gram for a friend or loved one! Just call us at 605-964-8200, and we'll do the rest."

Teens Complete Third Session of Book-to-Movie Club

CRYP recently completed its third session of Wowapi Olakholkichiyapi, the book-to-movie club for local teens. Launched on April 3, the club met on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week at CRYP's Cokata Wiconi teen center in Eagle Butte.

The club began with 10 participants. During each club meeting, the teens would complete questionnaires about the book's chapters and discuss the book in-depth. Once the group completed a book, the young people would get together to enjoy a pizza party and watch a related movie. Three teens completed the entire program, each earning a new Kindle Fire: Nathanial Fast Wolf, 14; Jordan Carter, 13; and Kasten Carter, 17.

This year's book's included "The Business of Fancydancing" by Sherman Alexie, followed by the film "Dance Me Outside"; "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Greene, followed by a special incentive trip to Pierre to attend the movie's opening night; "Tweak" by Nic Sheff, followed by the documentary "American Meth"; and "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton, followed by the film of the same name.

Thank you so much for your interest in our youth project, and for your ongoing support as we pursue our mission in the community.

To learn more about the Cheyenne River Youth Project and its programs, and for information about making donations and volunteering, call (605) 964-8200 or visit
www.lakotayouth.org. And, to stay up to date on the latest CRYP news and events, follow the youth project on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Sincerely,

All of us at the
Cheyenne River Youth Project