Organizers apologize for South Dakota ‘Dash for Cash’ event

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Days after a charity event billed as helping South Dakota teachers went viral for dehumanizing the teachers meant to be helped, the organizers have issued a formal apology.

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The Sioux Falls Stampede, a junior league hockey team, and CU Mortgage Direct organized the “Dash for Cash” event Saturday night, dumping $5,000 dollars in $1 bills on center ice during a game. Videos posted to Twitter during the event show ten teachers from local schools running to scoop up cash as fans cheered. Critics immediately called the event “dehumanizing” and “dystopian,” especially given teachers’ low salaries in South Dakota, The Washington Post reported.

The Sioux Falls Education Association joined in the outrage on Facebook, saying in a post, “While this event was a well intentioned gesture from our community, it really highlights the meager funding structure our teachers must work through to provide a high-quality education to our students. Events like this show that our educational system is broken.”

In a statement posted to the Sioux Falls Stampede’s website, an apology reads: “Although our intent was to provide a positive and fun experience for teachers, we can see how it appears to be degrading and insulting towards the participating teachers and the teaching profession as a whole. We deeply regret and apologize to all teachers for any embarrassment this may have caused.” The Stampede and CU Mortgage Direct, which donated the money for the contest, are also offering an additional $500 to each teacher, NPR reported.

The teachers, who each collected $378 to $616 at the event, had said they planned to use the money for flexible seating, document scanners, and esports equipment among other items, The New York Times reported.

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