The Bismarck Larks are celebrating fans and community partners for working together to raise $99,666 for local non-profits this season. With this contribution, the 2025 Larks season will leave an impact on young athletes, students, service providers, families facing debilitating disease, and so much more.

“Our organization’s mission is to connect, celebrate, and contribute to our community,” Rob Williamson, Larks president, said. “We have seen that powerful things happen when our friends and neighbors come together at the ballpark. We want them to know supporting the Larks means supporting the people around them.”

2025 Fundraising Breakdown

• $20,525 from specialty jersey auctions
• $21,988 in silent auction donations and ticket fundraisers
• $30,325 from in-game sponsor give back programs
• $17,834 from Split the Pot Raffle dollars raised, including matching donations
• $4,422 in Miracle Minute donations
• $1,230 along with 150 backpacks, filled with school supplies, donated to Carrie’s Kids from Knife River’s Backpack Give Back program

Working Together for a Better Future

Total fundraising efforts supported 109 non-profit organizations in 2025, including local youth sports organizations and booster clubs and statewide advocacy groups.

Setting the stage for an impactful year, the Larks opened the season by recognizing the Bismarck Parks and Recreation District, North Dakota Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Garrison Diversion Conservancy District for the nearly $2.4 million dollar investment of a new artificial turf and other ballpark upgrades. The improved facility gave college, high school, American Legion, and Northwoods League athletes a state-of-the-art playing experience.

Offering Families Impactful, Free Community Events

Outside of the team’s 36 home games, Larks staff worked with community partners to put on 13 free community events. Many had a focus on giving back to the community, including the Jersey Food Drive, powered by Farmers Union Insurance, where Larks fans donated more than 3,300 pounds of food for the Great Plains Food Bank in a single day. Other events were designed to give children and families positive experiences to connect with their community, including the new Teddy’s Whistle Stop Party at the Bismarck Depot. The event, powered by Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation, celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Medora Musical by bringing a free show to families in the heart of Bismarck.

Lifting Up Community Heroes

Players aren’t the only ones who shine on the field during Larks games. The ballpark becomes a stage to spotlight the outstanding organizations, groups, and individuals that make Bismarck a great place to live. During an action-packed entertainment schedule, the following theme nights helped celebrate the Bismarck-Mandan community:

• BSC Student, Staff & Alumni Night
• DUI All-Star Enforcers Night
• Education Day Game (1,206 kids and teachers admitted for free)
• First Responders & USA Night
• Host Family Appreciation Night
• Karen Appreciation Night
• Night of the Fans, celebrating our 500,000th fan in the ballpark
• Teacher Appreciation Night
• Touchstone Energy Member Appreciation Night
• UMary Night

On top of that, 36 families shared their baby birds with our crowds, six heroes of youth sports were honored among 28 nominations in our Hidden Hometown Heroes program, 36 POW/MIA service members were honored and saluted, 33 teachers were recognized in the Kids’ Choice Awards: Teacher of the Year program, nine Kids of the Month were highlighted and one Kid of the Year was awarded a scholarship.

Supporting Young Athletes

A core focus for the Larks continues to be supporting young people in their love for sports and development of skills. The Larks hosted the first ever MLB Pitch, Hit, and Run event for baseball players at Dakota Community Bank & Trust Field. More than 70 participants competed in each category for the chance to advance to regional and national rounds of competition.

The Larks also hosted several camps throughout the summer, including beginner and intermediate baseball skills and technique instruction led by our coach and players, as well as a softball camp led by the Minot Honeybees (Northwoods League Softball).

Kidder County Girls Softball received the Northwoods League Share the Glove grant, which includes over $2,000 in Rawlings softball equipment.

The Bismarck Larks continue to drive economic growth across the Bismarck-Mandan community through tourism, job creation, and youth engagement programs.

From May through August, the Larks welcomed 59,973 fans through the gates at Bismarck Municipal Ballpark, home of Dakota Community Bank & Trust Field. While the Larks primarily serve local fans with memorable experiences to keep them in town during the summer, a total of 5,704 tickets were purchased outside of the Bismarck-Mandan area. Visitors came from 30 U.S. states and one Canadian province. The farthest ticket was sold 2,105 miles away in Riverview, Florida, demonstrating the team’s reach beyond the region.

“Every fan who visits the ballpark brings energy, excitement, and a boost to our local economy,” Rob Williamson, Larks president, said. “We’re proud that the Larks experience is not only a summer tradition for our community but also a draw for visitors across the country. We love showing them what North Dakota has to offer.”

Welcome to Bismarck

With invaluable support from the Larks’ 22 host families, the team saw a diverse roster of baseball talent. Host families took in 84 Larks players this season, offering a welcoming and supportive experience to form lasting relationships. An additional 240 visiting players, 24 visiting coaches, and 36 umpires made a stop in Bismarck this summer.

Workforce Development, Retention & Job Creation

The Larks generated meaningful employment opportunities for local residents once again in 2025. The organization hired 108 seasonal game day staff, with 56 returning employees from Season 8. A great fit for young students who need a flexible schedule, 14% of game day staff reported that working for the Larks was their first-ever job. Skills built on the job include teamwork, customer service, and community engagement.

Supporting Educational Opportunities

The organization’s internship program provided hands-on experience for 23 college interns from 14 U.S. states, one Canadian province, and China. The busy summer schedule is an unparalleled opportunity to learn and grow through real-world experience in sports and entertainment operations.

Finally, the games continue to be a contributing factor to youth development and literacy, thanks to support from the Larks Community FUNd. Students redeemed 865 free tickets for achieving their goals in the Larks Reading Program.

The Larks are celebrating these successes with gratitude for the entire team that makes the summer season possible, including the host families, seasonal staff, interns, players, coaches, and Northwoods League support staff. Now, heading into a milestone season and the organization’s 10th anniversary, the Larks are looking to dig deeper to connect, celebrate and contribute to the community.

The Larks Community FUNd is celebrating major successes from the 2025 season. The 501(c)3 nonprofit saw improvement in two core initiatives: growing the Larks Reading Program to its highest participation level and doubling donations at Larks games and community events over 2024.

Powerful Reading Program Participation

The FUNd supported more North Dakota students reaching for their reading goals this spring. A total of 12,957 students from 74 schools participated in the free program, powered by Farmers Union Insurance. The Community FUNd supplies incentives for students to complete reading goals, including two tickets for each student. This year, 865 students attended a Larks ballgame for free.

Doubling Donations

The Larks Community FUNd participates in fundraising activities at Larks games along with many other local non profits in the community. Total donations to the FUNd doubled in 2025, with $10,844 collected from initiatives such as the Split the Pot Raffles and the Miracle Minute. The FUNd proudly provides administrative support, training, volunteer hours and community outreach to promote these fundraising efforts.

Supporting Young Athletes

Committed to supporting youth and families through access to sports, the Community FUNd distributed several grants and scholarships throughout the year.

Its Triple Play Program supports the ability for teams and individual athletes to participate in competitions and events. The ND Archery team, Mandan Women’s Wrestling, and North Stars Baseball Club of Hazen are a few of the organizations to receive funds from this program in 2025.

The Kidder County Girls Softball team received the Northwoods League Share the Glove grant, which provided the team with more than $2,000 in Rawlings softball equipment.

Six $500 scholarships were awarded to students pursuing sports in college, on the field or in the classroom. Recipients included:

• Cole Shirley, Bismarck State College
• Gavin Brice, Minto State College
• Kathryn LeMoine, Augustana University
• Kendall Ness, University of South Carolina, Larks Sponsorship Activation Intern
• Savannah Gustavsson, Bismarck State College
• Ricardo Aponte, Indiana University of PA, Lark of the Year

Spreading Positivity

A core facet of the Larks Community FUNd mission is to enrich the community by providing positive life experiences to youth and families. The Community Ticket program is designed to distribute complimentary tickets to nonprofit organizations in North Dakota that may not otherwise have the resources or opportunities to attend a Larks baseball game. This year the FUNd partnered with Bismarck High School’s Program for At Risk Youth and the Dacotah Foundation Mentor Squad enabling over (40) people to attend a Larks ballgame.

Support for The Larks Community FUNd programs and initiatives comes mainly from sponsorships, events, raffles, auctions, individual donations, and endowment giving.