Basketball match ups between Wessington Springs and Sanborn Central/Woonsocket typically draw a crowd to take in the deep-seated rivalry, but the gym in Springs experienced an extra surge last Thursday. On January 30 during the home girls basketball game, a fundraiser was held for an area college student facing a long road to treatment after receiving the diagnosis of Severe Aplastic Anemia.
Brady Larson, the son of Steve and Roxann Larson of Letcher is a 2023 graduate of Sanborn Central who played Blackhawk football alongside Wessington Springs and Woonsocket students throughout high school. He is 20 years old and is currently attending Mitchell Technical College for Ag Business.
Larson’s mom, Roxann, is no stranger to the Wessington Springs area, as she has served as the school district speech pathologist for decades, working with area youth through the school district and the Birth to Three program.
The event featured a free will donation pulled pork supper which served 340 plates that night plus a silent auction that drew donations from across the region. A Buck’s Football sign made and donated by Crazy 8 Designs in Kimball, SD, marks the beginning of the Wessington Springs/ Woonsocket/Sanborn Central Bucks football coop after changing its name from the Blackhawks this year. During a live auction at the benefit, the sign brought $775, with the winning bidder requesting it be auctioned again. The second winning bid was $625 and the bidders said “sell it again.” The third and final bid brought $625, bringing the total raised for the sign alone to $2025. All funds raised will be directed to the Larson family to help with costs incurred for Brady’s treatment. Severe Aplastic Anemia is a rare and serious condition that occurs when the body stops producing sufficient new blood cells. It is anticipated that he will have to undergo a bone marrow transplant this year as part of his treatment.
The Wessington Springs fundraiser, as well as an upcoming benefit in Letcher were both planned to show support for the Larson family as they navigate Brady’s health journey.
Letcher Benefit: Saturday March 1, 2025
A bean bag tournament, multiple auctions and a supper benefit will be held March 1 in Letcher at the Stekl Shop located at 40512 240th St.
Serving starts at 5 p.m. for the free will supper featuring brisket, pulled pork sandwiches, nachos, hot dogs, chips and desserts. Also at 5 p.m. bidding opens on the silent auction with registration for the bean bag tournament beginning as well.
At 6:30 p.m. the bean bag tourney starts, alongside a variety of fun activities including games, auctions, a bouncy house, 50/50 drawing, chuck-a-duck and more.
A Venmo account has been set up @Brady-Tough for an additional donation option. A bank account has also been established at Dakotaland in Woonsocket for the same purpose. More information about the March 1 event can be found at www.stekl.com/Brady/.