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Lakota Funds Receives Support from Golden West

Lakota Funds started off the year on a positive note with a $5,000 economic development donation from Golden West Telecommunications.

The funding was made available as part of Golden West’s annual economic development program created to target funds toward projects and programs within its service areas that help create or enhance local employment opportunities. The 2006 contribution brings the total received over the past seven years by the Lakota Fund to $30,000.

“We realize that the future of our company is dependent upon the success of the individuals and businesses in our service area and that’s why we’re excited to help fund the Lakota Fund in its projects,”said Golden West Customer Services Manager Jody Bielmaier.

The project submitted by the Lakota Fund will see the funds used to engage economic development on the Pine Ridge Reservation through small business training, technical assistance and loans.

Golden West began in 1916 as a stock company providing telephone service between the communities of Quinn and Interior, SD. The company has grown over the years to become the largest independent telephone company in South Dakota and the 35th largest telecommunications company in the nation. The Company now employs nearly 350 people statewide offering services ranging from local and long distance telephone service, high-speed and wireless Internet, cable television, 24-hour answering service, Internet help desk, networking services, wholesale Internet services, paging and business phone systems to digital video recorders and security monitoring.