LUVERNE -- The eighth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center is just around the corner, and Luverne's Diane Sherwood has never given up hope that one day there will be a facility to cater to people like those who were exposed to chemicals and toxins at Ground Zero the day the towers fell.
Sherwood founded the Remember Rally in Luverne in 2003 to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Funds collected from the motorcycle ride went to help those suffering from lung problems, cancers and other health ailments because of the toxins they were exposed to.
This year's Remember Rally will be Sept. 12 in Luverne, and while it still pays tribute to those who were killed, the fundraising focus is taking a shift.
Sherwood, who once dreamed of establishing a specialty health care center in upstate New York, has since identified a 118-acre parcel in the Black Hills of South Dakota for what she hopes will someday be home to the Healing Sanctuary. The land, located just outside Hill City, is surrounded on three sides by U.S. Forest Service property.
ADVERTISEMENT
With a fundraising goal of $30 million, Sherwood said the money will be used to pay for the land and construct a healthcare facility and attached lodge on the property. She envisions the facility to be the "Mayo Clinic" of toxin diagnosis, education and treatment, with specialists to include nutritionists and chiropractors, an on-site fitness center and massage.
"This is a nationwide issue -- actually, it's a worldwide issue," said Sherwood of toxin exposure. "People would be able to come from all around the country, including southwest Minnesota."
Sherwood said the facility would serve a wide range of patients, from Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange, to Gulf War soldiers and even farmers suffering from exposure to pesticides.
Back in January, Sherwood began looking for a different site for the facility. After touring property in New York, Oregon and the Black Hills, she ultimately decided on the South Dakota land because it was centrally located, and because South Dakota doesn't have a Certificate of Need process, which many states require before a health care facility can be constructed.
"That particular process is very time-consuming and expensive," Sherwood said. "Also, it is so beautiful in the Black Hills."
Plans are to build a LEED-certified facility, meaning that it is energy efficient and uses products that don't contain harmful chemicals, from paint and wood products to carpeting and flooring.
Sherwood has been working to raise money for the facility, from writing grants to contacting the governor and congressional leaders of South Dakota to inquire about the availability of stimulus dollars.
"At some point in the near future, we want to do a nationwide marketing campaign," she said, adding that there are plans to begin a "25 for 25" campaign, in which people can contribute $25 toward the goal of raising $25 million.
ADVERTISEMENT
"We realize that people don't have large sums of money right now," said Sherwood. "To know that we are going to be able to serve people across the country, I'll know that my $25 will make a difference. It will create a sense of ownership and pride (among contributors)."
Fundraising for the facility is just getting started.
The seventh annual Remember Rally begins with 11 a.m. registration on Sept. 12, at the Howling Dog Saloon in Luverne. This year's ride will depart at 12:30 p.m. and take motorcyclists from Luverne to Pipestone, Slayton, Ruthton and Flandreau and Garretson, S.D., before returning to Luverne. Door prizes will be given away at each of the stops, and a meal will be served at the end of the ride. The event will be conducted rain or shine.
For more information about the Remember Rally or Healing Sanctuary, visit www.rememberrally.com or www.healingsanctuary.org .
