Dennis Burdolski is an Air Force veteran, the son of a veteran, and now an advocate for other veterans and their family members through his role with the Western North Dakota Honor Flight. Dennis helped get the Western ND Honor Flight started after the Roughrider Honor Flight dissolved. “People started asking where’s the Honor Flight, so in June of 2019 this Honor Flight received its 501c3 status,” explains Dennis. A board member at the time, Dennis helped get the Honor Flight going, attending meetings, growing support, raising money, and getting veterans signed up. Despite Covid setbacks, in April of 2022 the Western ND Honor Flight took its first flight with 98 veterans. Dennis became board president in 2023, and they did two flights, one with 99 veterans and one with 112. Now, in 2024 they are again planning on two flights. The need for an honor flight only continues to grow, with a waiting list of almost 400 veterans. 

The Western ND Honor Flight is open to veterans of any war living in western North Dakota. The trip is free for the veterans; their costs like flights, food, hotels, and busing are completely taken care of. Veterans can also bring a traveling companion who pays to fly with them. Over a two-day trip, these veterans are flown to Washington D.C. to see the monuments erected in their honor, giving them closure for years of service some of them never received thanks for. “For the veterans, when they see the Vietnam Wall, it’s a tearjerker. There’s a lot of people who haven’t had closure. They left there, came back, and had to change out of their uniform in the San Francisco airport because if they wore the uniform out, they would get spat on and things thrown at them,” describes Dennis. To repair this wrong, the Western ND Honor Flight also arranges a huge welcome home for the veterans when they return from their trip. “The welcome home here in Bismarck is amazing,” describes Dennis. “We had between 800-1,000 people at the last homecoming. The plane pulled up, and they hadn’t even brought the gate up, but you could hear the band playing and the people cheering. They finally get to see that gratitude.” Dennis says this moment encapsulates why he’s a part of the Western ND Honor Flight. “You feel proud that they feel proud,” he explains. “You take pleasure in them finally being able to cast all that weight off them.” 

Want More? Westernndhf.org

Rebuilding Together is a non-profit dedicated to helping low-income homeowners in Bismarck and Mandan. They assist those who own homes but due to physical limitations cannot properly maintain them. Volunteers help with a variety of home improvements, including replacing floors and carpeting, replacing unsafe electrical wiring, replacing kitchen appliances, replacing or repairing windows and doors, even doing yard work. “We’re trying to make sure people are warm, safe, and dry,” says Fritz.

Amy Burke started volunteering three years ago. “I had so much fun I joined the board,” she explains. “I really like the mission and being able to help people. I’ve always wanted to learn how to do these things and what better way than to learn on the job.”

Fritz also started about three or four years ago. “My next-door neighbor was the president at the time, and we were talking about Rebuilding Together, so I got a hold of them, and said I’d like to do this.” Thanks to his expertise and generosity with his free time, Fritz has been able to greatly increase the projects Rebuilding Together has accomplished. While past years have seen 6-8 projects completed within a year, 2023 saw close to 35. Fritz helped with about 20 of these projects ranging from minor repairs to more extensive ones. “I have a crew of about half a dozen folks that are like me, old and retired,” describes Fritz. “If I’m going to do a project, I say, I’m going to remodel a bathroom Thursday, who can come over and help. Usually, I get three or four people who can help.”

Rebuilding Together has also greatly benefited from the generosity of donors and partners in the community like Lowe’s that donates clearanced or unsellable inventory to Rebuilding Together who then either uses the donations or resells them to put the money back into the houses.

For Amy and Fritz, the joy they receive from providing a warm, safe, and dry place to live is what makes it all worth it. “It’s fun to be able to put a smile on people’s faces and help someone who can’t do it themselves,” explains Amy.

Want More? www.rebuildingtogetherbisman.com

Kristi Kraft has been serving on Mandan Progress Organization’s board for five years, and as its president for three. Although not originally from Mandan, Kristi has lived in Mandan for 15 years now. It’s where she met her husband and she says by experiencing his fierce love for Mandan, she grew to love it in a similar way. “I just love the community,” she says. “I love the uniqueness, the grit, the personalities.” Because of her love for Mandan, Kristi wanted to give something back. “I just thought it’s time to give some of my talents to the community,” Kristi explains. One way she chose to do this was by joining Mandan Progress Organization’s board.

The Mandan Progress Organization (MPO) was founded in 1993 to help foster community growth. In 2021, the MPO adopted a new mission. To empower the Mandan-Morton County and Bismarck Metro area by orchestrating dynamic experiences that celebrate the community’s unique spirit, attract diverse audiences, and foster synergistic collaboration among local businesses and stakeholders, thereby enhancing the area’s cultural and economic vitality. The MPO is known for the many events it oversees, like the Mandan Rodeo, Buggies ‘n’ Blues, Art in the Park, the Independence Day parade, and the newly added Mandan Holiday Lights on Main. “We’re a non-profit. We’re not directly tied to any of the civic organizations, but we partner with all of them to bring activities, events, and experiences to the community that lift Mandan, form our identity, and show people what an incredible community Mandan is,” says Kristi.

Kristi’s role within the MPO is to help rally the other board members and provide support to the MPO’s staff members. “We have a great board of active, fun, diverse, creative, really good people,” says Kristi. The effect the MPO, its staff and its board, has made on the community of Mandan is no secret. “I’ve seen such growth and change and excitement in the last three years,” says Kristi. “I love to see people passionate about what’s going on and looking forward to good things.

Want More? www.visitmandan.com/mandan-progress-organization

The Bismarck Marathon is the longest running marathon in North Dakota. Last year marked the 41st year of the run. For its first 25 years, the YMCA directed the event until they announced in 2007 that this would be their last year. In response, a group of running enthusiasts including Bill Baumann, Brent Kleinjan, and David Nash formed a non-profit organization to keep the Marathon going. They approached Lynn Beiswanger to be the co-race director, and the race continued on.

The Bismarck Marathon features events of all difficulties and lengths from kid’s races up to a full marathon. The purpose of the marathon is to promote healthy and active lifestyles. The event costs are covered by registration fees and sponsorships. All extra money is donated to a local charity that benefits families, youth, health, and wellness. Since 2007, the Marathon has contributed over $387,000 to local organizations in the community. The event has also grown in size thanks to the tireless work of its board, from 500 participants in 2007 to 2,357 last year.

Carol Beiswanger has been involved with the Bismarck Marathon since 2008. She loves the running community and is passionate about making the race better every single year. “My marathon ‘job’ since 2007 has been to count the dollars and help the committee stay on budget and be a good steward of the funds entrusted to us,” she explains. “It’s very rewarding to see a team work as hard as they do simply for the payment of a smile and seeing someone’s satisfaction in a job well done.”

Mark Momerak and Josh Askvig were co-directors of the Bismarck Marathon for the past few years, before stepping down after last year’s race. They navigated the Marathon through the post-pandemic years and oversaw the change of a new route that starts and ends at the State Capitol grounds and weaves its way through the heart of Bismarck. “There’s always been a dream of starting and finishing at the Capitol since we’re the Capitol City,” explains Josh. “I’m glad that’s the legacy that Mark and I could leave for the Marathon.” In addition, both men are passionate about offering a beautiful race that is well-marked and makes it easy for runners to focus on accomplishing their goals. “Do what you can do,” says Mark. “Celebrate your success. Because it’s all about what you can accomplish.”

Want More? thebismarckmarathon.com

In 2016, Terry Schreiner’s wife, Teri, was diagnosed with breast cancer. They turned to Bismarck Cancer Center (BCC) for treatment and support, and their staff went above and beyond to help them. “I got a phone call with them,” tells Terry. “I assumed they wanted to talk with my wife because her name is also Teri, but they wanted to know how I was doing, how the family was doing. At the time I was like, this is dumb because she’s the one that needs the care not us, but looking back, I realized, that’s really cool.”

Thankfully, today Teri is cancer-free. Inspired by the kindness of the Bismarck Cancer Center, Terry wanted to find a way to give back and say thank you. He contacted Sara Kelsch, the marketing director at BCC, and threw out the idea of a car show. One and a half months later, they had the very first Carz-N-Cures in the old Bismarck Honda back in 2017. The next year, the space was no longer available, so they took the show to the Eagle’s Club. The space was much too small, however, and Terry again had to look for a new space. At the time Terry worked for Tires Plus and was giving a courtesy ride to someone who worked at the Capitol. Terry realized the Capitol would be a perfect location for the third Carz-N-Cures. “I asked who I would need to speak to, and she said as a matter of fact, that’s me,” remembers Terry. “That was in 2019, and we’ve been at the Capitol ever since.”

Last year was Cars-N-Cures biggest year yet with 166 cars. In the past seven years they’ve raised almost $100,000 for the BCC. As it continues to grow in numbers, Terry wants to expand the event’s activities as well. “We wanted to create an event that’s for families. I want it to be if you don’t have a car, it doesn’t matter. Come on in, bring your family. We’ve had Clark the Lark, the Bobcat’s mascot, other local mascots to create more of a kid-friendly atmosphere.” They also have both a silent and live auction, live music, and a free-will offering lunch. This year’s event will be Saturday, June 1st from 10am – 2pm.

Want More? Facebook: Carz-N-Cures

Capital City Christmas has quickly become a beloved holiday tradition in the Bismarck-Mandan area in the five years since its start. Wendy Hafner-Bakken was one of the founding members of the event. “It started as a way to give back to the arts and humanities in our community,” explains Wendy. Capital City Christmas holds three separate events, Breakfast with Santa, a Tree Lighting Ceremony, and a New Year’s Gala. “Our community is very generous, so we’ve been able to raise on average about $50,000 a year,” says Wendy. “Then, we give that money back out to non-profits who apply for it to give back to our community.”

Each event brings a different element of holiday fun. Breakfast with Santa is always the Saturday morning of Thanksgiving weekend. Students from various Bismarck-Mandan schools volunteer as elves and there is a breakfast, face painting, arts and crafts, activities, and a chance to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus. Then, later that same day, is the Tree Lighting Ceremony at the corner of Front and 5th. The event is free. Santa and Mrs. Claus make an appearance and holiday beverages and treats are available. The New Year’s Gala at the Event Center is the final event of the season. In addition to delicious food, there is live music, a silent and live auction, and fireworks at midnight.

Wendy is proud to be part of a committee that brings such joy to so many families in the area. “We have a very small committee who works very, very hard,” says Wendy. “I’m passionate because it brings joy to everyone. I see the faces of the people who come whether it’s the little kids at breakfast or everyone dressed up on New Year’s Eve.”

Want More? www.capitalcitychristmasnd.com

One of the small luxuries in life that we take for granted is the ability to wash our clothes. What can be begrudged as a boring chore, for people who don’t have access, the ability to wash your clothes is a life changer. “That’s one of the first things you see in others,” explains Tami. “The cleanliness of their clothes.” This is why Tami started her own chapter of the national organization Laundry Love here in Bismarck, called Happy Hamper.

Every third Thursday of the month, Tami and a group of volunteers head down to the Boulevard Laundromat. From 5:30 – 7:30, they are there to provide funds for using the washers and dryers, as well as laundry detergent and dryer sheets. Earth Breeze donates the detergent to the group, free of charge, to aid them with their mission of helping give an extra boost to those with little to no income. “I wanted to be of service to my community,” explains Tammy. “This was something I didn’t see in our city.”

So far, in the nine months they’ve been operating, Happy Hampers has washed 300 single loads and served 41 unique individuals and families. “The feedback from the people we’re helping is just overwhelming appreciation,” says Tammy. “Many who’ve come in have talked about how someone in their household was laid up for months because of an illness or just couldn’t afford to clean their clothes. There have been some that were starting a new job and just needed clean clothes. The very first person that ca

me to us had a child with her. At the end of washing and drying her clothes as she’s getting ready to leave, she turned to her son and said, ‘Let’s go home. We have clean clothes.’ I almost started crying. There are several that may have addiction issues, but if this is something that can just help them get a little bit of self-esteem, push them over that edge to seek help with their addictions, I’m just honored to be able to help them.”

Want More? Facebook: Happy Hamper – Laundry Love

Pat and Lloyd Gingery have hearts for service. To them, it only makes sense to devote their free time to helping others. “I can’t sit around. I have to be doing something,” says Lloyd. The 90-year-old couple has spread their time and talents over a number of organizations and been an integral part of their operations for a number of years.

Camp Bentley is one of these organizations that’s near and dear to the couple’s heart. They have been volunteering at the camp since 1962. Every spring, they help clean up the site and get things in working order before the season officially starts and are back again in the fall to prepare everything for winter. Lloyd was on the camp board for many years, and both them and their children personally attended the camp. “It means a lot to us,” explains Pat.

Pat and Lloyd also volunteer for Meals on Wheels, faithfully delivering meals to Patterson Place residents over the past ten years. The couple has gotten to know their clients well and enjoys visiting them every Thursday and Friday. They were able to persist even through Covid, with some slight modifications.

While they are now taking a step back from it, Pat and Lloyd have also been preparing Sunday school lunches for children in Cannon Ball since 2007. Lloyd is also a deacon at his church, a Church Leadership Team member, a 300 Club member, an American Baptist Men member, and a Gideon member for many years. As a part of his work with the Gideon’s, Lloyd would deliver Bibles to local hotels and hold Bible studies at the Bismarck-Mandan Detention Center. He also did taxes with AARP for 16 years. Pat is on the Midwest Commission on the Ministry, a church trustee, a flower committee member, the current president of the American Baptist Women organization, a member of the Lois circle, and helps organize funerals at their church.

When asked why they give so much to the community, Pat responds simply, “We just like to do something for people.” Lloyd adds, “It’s just good to help people.”

Want More? abc-dakotas.org/camp-bentley | www.mealsonwheelsbismarck.org | www.gideons.org

When Jenny was only six years old, she lost her mom to brain cancer. Then, four years ago, her sister passed away from colon cancer, leaving behind four young kids. “I knew what they were up against. There weren’t a lot of other resources, so I wanted to give them the opportunity to get help. But then I thought, well, why not all kids?” Jenny describes.

To fill this void, Jenny opened Soul 57 on September 26th of last year. Soul 57 is a non-profit that offers grief support and therapy to children from kindergarten through the age 24. They offer group therapy facilitated by a social worker on Thursday nights, alternating between the K-5 group and the 6-12 group. These groups can be an opportunity for grieving children to create friendships and form connections with people who are going through the same thing, helping them realize they are not alone in their suffering.

Soul 57 also partners with non-profits in the community to offer monthly workshops where children can create art, play music, write, or dance, as just a few examples, and hopefully discover a healthy outlet for their grief. For Jenny, writing was crucial to learning how to navigate her own grief, and she knows how beneficial it can be for any grieving child.

Soul 57 also offers support for caregivers as well. “We want them to feel comfortable talking with their kids about this stuff, so we offer them peer support with other parents and adults. We also want them to share what’s going on and let us be a support system for them as well,” says Jenny.

Not only does she offer a service for grieving children that North Dakota is severely lacking, she also offers these services completely free of charge. “I don’t want people to ever feel like money should be a hindrance in getting the help that they need,” explains Jenny. Jenny is a shining example of turning suffering into an opportunity for immense good. “When you go through these trying situations, you want to make something good come from that,” she describes.

Want More? www.soul57.org

Amber Bohl has fostered 80 children in her home in seven years. Amber’s passion for foster care started after the loss of her first child at 24 weeks gestation. “The loss of our son really felt like a hole that needed to be filled in my heart,” explains Amber. “I used to tell people I wanted 52 children.” Amber and her husband Jeff did have two biological children after, Brennen and Alivia, but she still felt called to foster. After talking it over with her family, they decided to start fostering children in their home.

Amber often fosters children with medical challenges because of her 25 years in healthcare. She’s also helped many teenagers graduate high school and transition into a new stage of life. While their focus is on reuniting biological families, Amber and her husband did adopt a sweet girl named Taylynn who is now six years old.

As beautiful and rewarding as foster care is, there are a lot of challenges. For every ten homes that are licensed for foster care, nine are lost or discontinued. The demand for foster homes is great, and there are many challenges within the system. Foster parents are often without support, tools, or resources. Social workers are over-worked. Foster youth have to deal with constant inconsistency, making it extra challenging to develop a personal identity and form a community.

Amber’s personal experience with the difficulties of the foster system has fueled a new dream: Haven Hills Foster Care Community. The vision for Haven Hills is a network of twelve homes located about ten miles north of town on 80 acres. Haven Hills will be a community of foster families to provide them the support they need. There will also be on-site therapies like OT, PT, Speech, Mental Health, as well as equestrian and pet therapy. There will also be some tiny homes, 1 bed, 1 bath, for foster kids over 18 who need a safe place to live independently within a community.

The project is currently in the fundraising stage, but Amber is working tirelessly to move the project along. “People say how do you do this, and I say, God gives me the strength. I really don’t do anything special,” she says. “You do what you do because the kids need it.”

Want More? Havenhillscommunity.org