World Rural  . . .  Something . . . Day in Sturgis a Huge Success
By Shirley Erhart

The second World Rural Women’s Day Celebration sponsored by Crisis Intervention Shelter Services, Inc. (CISS), South Dakota Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, and the South Dakota Arts & Humanities Council, was a huge success.

Linda Hasselstrom, author, poet, and rural woman was the featured guest at the event held in Sturgis, S.D.

It was a delight to listen to Linda read excerpts from her books, read and poetry, and it was so enlightening to have her work with us in two short writing workshop sessions.

We received some money from the Sunshine Lady Foundation to transport women from my area in northern South
Dakota.  Some friends bought a limo at an auction last summer and fixed it up, and they now have a little Limo Service! So, another friend and I got up at 4 a.m., drove the limo for 3 hours to pick up three women who wanted to attend the event, and very much deserved to be there.

On the window of the limo, my friend used white chalk and painted, “World Rural Women’s Day” for the world to see!  I guess it was a hoot when the limo pulled into Lemmon, (population 1,398), and up to the women’s houses. We had arranged for muffins and hot coffee, bottles of water, and we bought each woman a beautiful peach colored rose … all of this was waiting for them in the limo.

We drove them up Main Street twice and
created quite a flurry there, let me tell you.  One of the women said,” I had practiced my princess wave the night before!” When they arrived at the Sturgis Community Center, they were giggling and smiling.

More than 50 women attended throughout the day, which included lunch.

The Coalition and CISS had displays in the foyer, and Linda Hasselstrom’s books were on display and for sale.  The event also featured a printout of the Rural Womyn Zone logo and the photo essay Rural Advocacy – A View from the Window was
displayed. Also on display were the posters from the Zone.

On Friday evening, we were to meet Linda Hasselstrom at Wrigley Field for supper.  Yes, there is a Wrigley Field in Sturgis, S.D. -- Wrigley Field Restaurant, that is. We pulled into the parking lot around 5:30 p.m., the limo stopped in front of the door, and as we got out, Linda came running out of the restaurant laughing, and she said, “you women created a stir, driving up in a limo!  All heads in the bar were craned toward the doors and windows trying to see who was important enough to arrive in a
limo!”

They were wondering what the words on the window of the limo said.  When my friend wrote it out, she used the symbol for female rather than spell out the word.  The waitress had run for the door, looked out, and shouted to the customers, “it says, World Rural.....uh .....don't know what that means... .uh . ... Something . . .  Day."

And we thought we were making strides in South Dakota!

The event was truly a success, in every way possible.  One Coalition member said, “I am so glad I came.  I gleaned so much from Linda Hasselstrom’s presentation and from this day.”

I wish each and every one of you could have been there.

(In addition to those listed above, other organizations providing funding for this event included the South Dakota Arts and Humanities Council.)

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