New Playground for Crazy Horse

Crazy Horse School, located in the 700-person town of Wanblee, serves as more than a school. It is the heart of the community, a space for meetings, entertainment and exercise. On weekends and after school, community members bring their children to the school playground. Unfortunately, our playground is outdated and starting to show its age.

Our hope is to fund a playground that children will be excited to play on, while simultaneously encouraging adults and older children to stay active.  We seek to create a welcoming environment of which the community can be proud.  We ask for funding for resilient, brightly colored equipment that will stand the test of time and keep the Wanblee community active for many years to come.

Crazy Horse School is a high-need school located on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in southwestern South Dakota. We are one of four K-12 schools on the reservation providing education to students, serving approximately 250 students.  The percentage of the student body enrolled in a federally recognized tribe is 98% and 100% of our students qualify for the free and reduced lunch program. 

Our students and school practice the 7 Lakota Values of Wisdom, Generosity, Respect, Courage, Spirituality, Patience and Honesty.  We seek to educate our students as Lakota leaders, preparing them for the future while also preserving and honoring the culture and traditions of the Oglala Lakota.  Our students are also passionate about riding horses, playing basketball, swimming, reading books about animals and snacking on hot cheetos!

We are grateful for an outside donor who provided $10,000 of seed money for our new playground.  The total cost of a new playground will be $63,165.  We ask for $45,000 to help us reach our goal.  All money will go directly to the playset.