Guardians of the Children: Mike Day and Diana Dufur-Day
Diana Dufur-Day and her husband Mike Day are fortunate to have a bird’s-eye view of Children’s Home Society (CHS).
That’s because the Days’ long involvement with CHS spans the breadth of the state—from Sioux Falls to Hill City.
They first learned about CHS when they lived in Sioux Falls next door to current board member and director emeritus, donor and friend, John Rozell.
“John was part of a fundraising campaign at Children’s Home Society in Sioux Falls and he took us over there,” remembers Diana. “We toured the facility, and they gave us the information about what they do for children and for the community and we were really impressed.”
“Mike and I like to be able to help those that can’t advocate for themselves.” That’s why the Days made a legacy gift to CHS.
The Days learned more about CHS over the years and remained involved as they moved to Hill City. Diana joined the board in 2018 and served as president of the Children’s Home Foundation Board in 2024.
“Board service has really given me insight as to what we truly do for the kids and families in the community,” Diana says. “Nobody else takes care of kids from four to fourteen. We’re the only entity in the state that does that. And it’s just amazing what we do for the children and the families we serve.”
Diana is excited about the new CHS facility currently under renovation in Rapid City. “The location will give our kids the opportunity to do more things—the parks, swimming pools, other activities.”
“I also think having everyone under one roof is really, really important,” Diana says. Locating all Black Hills CHS programs at the Mount Rushmore Road site will result in economies of scale, therapeutic continuity and professional synergy.
She’s also pleased that CHS is building awareness in Rapid City with additional staffing and leadership, along with the new facility. “I realized that there aren’t that many people on the western side of the state that truly know what we do,” she says. “Our presence here isn’t as prominent as it is in Sioux Falls.”
The Days have confidence in CHS leadership. “Michelle Lavallee has been such a driving force in her term as CEO,” says Diana. “She has so much insight, knowledge and vision, which has brought us to where we are today. I’m completely and totally impressed with both our boards and with our leadership, including Jon Mammenga.”
“CHS has been around for a long, long time and we’ve continued to grow and do well. We have been good stewards of our finances and endowments. It’s probably one of the most respected boards in the state and it’s truly an honor to serve. We have a lot of great board members, but we’ve got a lot of great supporters too.”
The Days’ hope for CHS is “to be more visible in the entire state, to have more recognition and to have sustainability to carry us on into the future,” says Diana.
Guardians of the Children is a giving program established to recognize and honor those people whose vision, philanthropy and love of children have been demonstrated by a legacy gift to Children’s Home Foundation. Funds from the Foundation support the programs and services at CHS, including Children’s Home Shelter for Family Safety.
