BELLE FOURCHE—For the fourth year in a row, State Street was shut down as the Save the Vets Charity event took over the area in front of The Circle Lounge. The Armed Forces of America Motorcycle Club, Belle Fourche Chapter, raised over $16,000 throughout the day-long fundraising event on August 15.
The day started with several area businesses competing in a Smoke Off. The public got to taste test all of the meat. Each entrant also prepared a side dish. After all of the tasting was done, the public got to cast a vote for their favorite of the day. The People’s Choice Award went to the Circle and Trisha Fowler—32 votes were cast for her dish. The placing was the same in both the meat category and side-dish category. First place was awarded to Fire and Iron with the Cowboy, with second going to Trisha Fowler and The Circle and third place was Tammy Westland and the Hitching Post Tap House. Many of the winning teams donated their cash winnings directly to the Save the Vets Charity.
Armed Forces of America Motorcycle Club is the driving force behind the event and has been doing some sort of charity event every year for the past 13 years. This year all of the money raised will benefit the SGT Colton Levi Derr Foundation, an organization that helps raise awareness about the profound challenges that veterans face while reintegrating into civilian life and provides resources to combat veteran suicide.
This is the third year that this organization has been chosen to receive the funds. The Motorcycle Club has chosen it for a few reasons. “Because the fact the family and the charity is organized out of Rapid City, so the money that we raise stays locally and not going to a national organization. We know where the money is actually going to and what it’s going to be used for,” explained Bow Eckenberg of Armed Forces of America Motorcycle Club, Belle Fourche Chapter. “It is a huge cause for me—as a veteran that’s struggled with PTSD and all that kind of things. Even my brothers in the club have struggled with it [suicide] and lost family members from it—that’s a huge thing that hits home.”
A special guest speaker, Jerry Derr, the Foundation’s founder and father of SGT Colton Levi Derr, was on hand to share the story about his son. “He came home Easter of 2012—he just gotten out of Afghanistan and completed his mission. When he got back to South Dakota, all of his friends and family and everybody thought he was just great because he looked great…when he got back he and I had a conversation…And he said, ‘no, I’m not good at all,’” he shared. “The Saturday before he was to report back to duty, right after he left South Dakota, he took his life and committed suicide. So we founded the foundation in his name, and we’ve been going since 2012, working with vets and trying to help them in that transition and when you’re having a rough time realize, there are people out there that care and there are resources out there.”
In addition to the Smoker, a live auction, 50/50 raffle and a gun drawing were all money-raising activities for the day. The one-day event honoring Veterans was the culmination of months of planning, as efforts to raise money for the very important cause began in January. “Preparation begins usually January 1—it takes a lot of time and effort to get everything worked out. You know, our vendors and our donations and everything—we had Vortex donate this year—I reached out to them at the beginning of the year, it takes some time because they’re corporations, it takes time,” explained Eckenberg.
All the hard work securing donations for the live auction paid off. The live auction raised $6,690.
The highest bid of the day went to an American bald eagle art piece that brought $800.
Bringing the community together was half of the fun for the occasion. “Turnout this year has been pretty decent, but with the rally and the weather it’s not as big as we’d like—it can always be bigger,” said Eckenberg. “That’s one thing we strive for is make it bigger and better and promote State Street and do better for our community!”
The wife of Master Sergeant Jeffrey Mark Cole donated $1,000 on behalf of her husband. “He served 26 years in the Air Force. He retired at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia. And he passed away January 30, 2025—he’s buried at Black Hills National Cemetery,” she shared.
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