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Hundreds of family, friends and acquaintances gathered Sunday to support and to raise money for the Megan Boyenga family of rural Kanaranzi.
The four-hour event raised $37,570 (as of Monday morning) for the young widow whose husband, Anthony “Tony,” died of a heart attack in June. He was 31.
Megan Boyenga’s employer, Prairie Rehabilitation, organized the dinner and online auction. She’s worked in the business department since graduating from college in 2006.
Four months ago her employers, Lee and Gina Glasoe, began organizing Sunday’s fundraiser.
“We wanted her to make the best decision for herself and her family long term,” Lee Glasoe said. “Our thought is for her to have the wherewithal to stay where she is and not have finances force her to make a decision she may regret.”
The night after Tony’s death, Megan recalled thinking that they would have to move to town.
The couple married in 2012 and Tony was achieving his dream of farming for a living, including the development of a cow-calf operation.
With Tony gone, family has stepped in to complete the fieldwork and the necessary livestock chores.
They supported Megan and her desire to keep the farm for her children, Rayden, 12, Coyer, 6, and triplets Hazyl, Levicy and Bronly, 4, to enjoy and possibly operate when they are older.
“It’s been important to keep it — not to sell,” Megan said.
As the six-month anniversary of Tony’s death comes later this month, Megan is speechless at the outpouring of support, her thank you to supporters at Sunday’s event cut short by tears.
“The goal was to do what it took to stay here on the farm,” Boyenga said on Monday. “This is beyond anything I could’ve imagined to help make that happen. This will definitely give the kids and me the opportunity to stay on the farm and not have to make any more changes, as they’ve been through enough changes already.”
An estimated 500 to 600 people attended the pulled pork and barbecue sandwich dinner, and hundreds more participated in the online auction.
The auction was set up using Qtego and allowed people who couldn’t attend the event in Luverne to support the young family through real-time bidding platform and payment through a credit card.
Of the amount raised, $11,000 came from the freewill meal donations. The rest was from the auction of 210 items.
“I am amazed at how generous people are,” Glasoe said. “They were not only generous in donations but also in the bidding.”
Donations can still be made to the Boyenga Family benefit. Mail checks to Prairie Rehabilitation, 1720 S. Cliff Ave., Sioux Falls, SD, 57105.