December 17, 2014
The Pine Ridge Christmas adventure started in 1990 and always brings smiles to workers and visitors as they witness the veritable sea of Christmas presents, bags, bicycles and other fun toys…start to take over the Laughing Water Restaurant at Crazy Horse Memorial. In past years the smiling face of Ruth Ziolkowski could also be seen as she made her way slowly thru the gifts saying the first names of students which had been carefully printed on the gift bags. Ruth passed on in May, but her Spirit is still here.
The project has grown over the 24 years from 55 students the first year to 143 students this year. Every year teachers and volunteers bring vehicles to Crazy Horse to pick up the gifts which are distributed to students at Pine Ridge School. Ziolkowski daughter Viga and her daughters play a fun role in the project as they set off early on Black Friday and other shopping days to fulfill the long list of requests from students. They include all sorts of games, clothing items, roller skates and skate boards, bicycles and toys of every description.
