The origami swan is our symbol of transformation and hope. People across South Dakota are Joining the Fold to create origami birds and learn about Children’s Home Society. Many write notes of encouragement on the swans and cranes; each one represents support and hope for the children and families we serve.

Update: December 1, 2025

The wait is finally over! After sorting through all the classroom and staff submissions, we’re excited to announce the winners of the Guess for Good competition! Drumroll, please…

Staff Winners

A few lucky staff members came impressively close to the actual total—14,039 swans—and have earned a pizza party for their department!

• Rapid City Campus/ BHCH Winner: Chelsea Druzbacky, Outpatient Mental Health Clinic—guessed 17,986.
• Shelter Winner: Michaela Ishmael, Housekeeping—guessed 14,265.
• SFCH Winner: Kim Knopf, Finance—guessed 14,000.

All staff who entered the competition will be flying away as winners with an exclusive Join the Fold t-shirt. Shirts should be ready in January, and the Marketing team will share more information as we get closer.

Swan-tastic Student Winners!

It was a graceful finish in our student Guess for Good challenge! Two students soared closest to the mark.

At Loving School, Landen swan-dived in with a bold guess of 15,000—just 961 swans off the total—earning Jeff Parson’s fifth-grade class a celebratory pizza party.

Over at Owen School, Logan glided in with a guess of 1,111, securing a win for Becky Jackson’s class and another well-deserved pizza party!

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Guess for Good competition—and thank you for Joining the Fold!

Update: November 24, 2025

14,039. That’s how many people took the time to write messages of hope to our children and clients we serve. Their messages were intricately folded into origami swans and are now beautifully displayed in our case in the Sioux Falls Admin Building.

Guess for Good was a campus–wide competition inviting everyone—staff and students—to estimate how many swans were in the display case. Guesses ranged from four and a half birds to one trillion!

Many Loving School classes made the trek over to the Admin Building. Troy Engel and Jeff Parson’s fifth–grade class even brought a tape measure to calculate the volume of the case to improve their estimate. One confident fifth grader held up his sheet of paper and declared, “I got the correct number right here!” As he was leaving the building, he told his friends, “I can’t wait for that pizza party!”

Thank you to everyone who took the time to participate in this competition! Winners will be announced soon. In the meantime, enjoy these photos of the kiddos guessing!

Something special is taking flight on the Sioux Falls campus! A colorful flock of origami swans has landed in the Admin Building display case—and they’ve brought a friendly little competition with them!

It’s time to put your guessing skills to the test! CHS is hosting a campus-wide employee guessing competition, Guess for Good! All you have to do is guess how many birds are in the display case pictured.

Everyone who enters will receive a free Join the Fold t-shirt, and the person with the closest guess will win a pizza party for their department, unit, or shift!

Come check out the display in person at the Admin Building on the Sioux Falls campus or visit the landing page to view photos. The display case measures 111” wide x 88” high and 36” deep.

Submit your guess anytime from November 10, through November 23. We’ll announce the winner on November 24-25.

The kiddos will also have a chance to Guess for Good! Their contest kicks off November 17 with Swan Trivia. Students at Loving, Owen and Lincoln Schools will enjoy classroom activities featuring the display case. Classroom guesses are due to Marketing Director Janet Andersen by November 21, and winners will be announced on Monday, November 24. The top classroom on each campus will receive a pizza party!

Happy guessing and thank you for Joining the Fold!