Billionaire donates $5 million to Crazy Horse Memorial

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Dec 27, 2007 by Associated Press

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- A South Dakota billionaire banker has pledged a $5 million matching grant to the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation, the largest ever in the mountain carving's nearly 60 year history.

T. Denny Sanford of Sioux Falls, a longtime supporter of the project that honors American Indians, initially wanted to remain anonymous but allowed his name to be released if it would help the fundraising effort, said Ruth Ziolkowski, president and CEO.

Her husband, the late Korczak Ziolkowski, started the project in 1948 and she has led the project since his death in 1982.

The previous largest gift was $1.7 million from Illinois businessman Gerald Forsythe.

The Sanford money will match other donations dollar-for-dollar. The first $1 million has been raised and there is a deadline of Oct. 1, 2011 to raise the remaining $4 million, according to Crazy Horse officials.

Sanford, 71, is the chief executive of United National, a holding company that's the parent of First Premier Bank and Premier Bankcard.

He has pledged $400 million to turn the former Sioux Valley health system into Sanford Health in Sioux Falls; $70 million to the underground science lab at the old Homestake mine in Lead; $20 million to a California-based research institution Sanford Health will partner with for pediatric research; $16 million to build the Sanford Children's Hospital in Sioux Falls; $14 million to Children's Home Society in Sioux Falls; and $5 million to South Dakota State University's new student-athlete center.

Sanford is No. 17 in Business Week magazine's latest annual list of "most generous givers" and one of 16 of the top 50 philanthropists who have given or pledged more than $100 million between 2003 and 2007, according to the magazine.

He ranked higher on the list than some more famous philanthropists, such as Ted Turner and Oprah Winfrey.