SOUTH DAKOTA(DRGNews)- Avera Foundation has set a new annual fundraising record in fiscal year 2024 with a total of more than $53 million.

Chief Philanthropy Officer Dzenan Berberovic (ZJUH-Non Burr-Burr-Oh-Vick) says current and recent philanthropy projects have paid for some new facilities, including a new obstetrical surgical suite at Avera St. Mary’s Hospital in Pierre. The suite is designed to enhance the labor and delivery experience for new mothers.

Additionally, Berberovic says the donations completely cover the cost of Avera’s Ask the Question public service campaign to prevent suicide, which is now in its third year. He says donated dollars have also paid for other patient and family assistance initiatives. Some of those are:

• Avera’s Caring for Life Fund covers needs such as transportation costs for out-of-town patients, housing for patients, meals, adequate counseling or intervention services for families with behavioral health struggles, safe sleep systems for infants, and other just-in-time needs for patients and families.
• This year’s Avera Race Against Cancer in May was also a record-setting event, with $725,000 raised and 6,700 participants. The annual race has raised a total of $11 million for the past 36 years. Proceeds go toward needs including cancer navigation services, wigs for cancer patients and more.

Avera Foundation has been recognized by the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy with the High Performer distinction for five years. Philanthropy is a key aspect of Avera’s strategic agenda because it extends the Avera mission to impact persons and communities across Avera’s 72,000-square-mile footprint in a positive way.

Other new facilities paid for by current and recent philanthropy projects are:

• An updated women’s center and new behavioral health unit at Avera St. Luke’s Hospital in Aberdeen.
• Expansion of hospitality housing at Kirby Place at Walsh Family Village near the Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center campus in Sioux Falls.
• Construction of the new Helmsley Behavioral Health Center – a new wing added to Avera Behavioral Health Hospital in Sioux Falls to provide new services including 24/7 Behavioral Health Urgent Care, youth residential addiction care and more.
• Renovation and addition of hospice services at Avera Brady Health and Rehab in Mitchell.

In the past year, 20,848 benefactors provided a total of 31,099 gifts. This included 8,348 employees and 4,603 new donors, as well as 3,957 benefactors who have given for five or more consecutive years.

Learn more at AveraFoundation.org.