Tony Dean was an outdoor enthusiast, a conservationist, a broadcaster, and a writer, with hopes and dreams for projects that would help preserve and enhance public recreation opportunities for everyone.
This website is dedicated to Tony Dean's memory and to the things he loved. It also serves as the headquarters for the campaign currently underway to raise funds to establish a public recreation area in his memory, to be called Tony Dean's Acres.
We encourage you to continue checking back, as this site is updated on a regular basis.
Tony Dean's Acres Celebrity Hunt weekend a huge success
Nearly $21,000 was raised in conjunction with a pheasant hunt, auction and dinner on December 19th. As a result, the Tony Dean's Acres Fund now tops $118,000. (see Contributors, at left, for list of people, businesses and organizations who have made donations to the Fund).
Led by Celebrity Huntmasters Ron Schara of Ron Schara Productions, and outdoors editor and columnist Dennis Anderson of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, participants saw thousands of pheasants during a celebrity pheasant hunt at the Steve Halverson farm near Kennebec, SD on December 19, 2009. The hunt was followed by a dinner and live and silent auction at the Ramkota River Centre in Pierre, featuring auctioneer Todd Schuetzle of Dakota Proprties Real Estate of Pierre.
Auction items were donated by the family of Tony Dean, conservation organizations, manufacturers, individuals, and South Dakota businesses.
The December 19th event was the fourth fundraiser held for the project this year. An auction in Sioux Falls in September netted more than $25,000. A Tony Dean Festival held at Spring Creek north of Pierre in August, and a pheasant hunt at Sutton Bay last spring also raised significant amounts for the fund. In addition, individuals, businesses, and organizations from across the country have sent in donations.
The Tony Dean's Acres Fund will be used to purchase a parcel of land in South Dakota for wildlife and public recreation opportunities, in memory of Tony Dean. Four national conservation partners will match the money raised by the Tony Dean's Acres Steering Committee.
Originally, the Tony Dean's Acres Steering Committee had hoped to generate $100,000 for the Fund by June of 2010, but thanks to the generosity of wildlife and conservation groups, friends of Tony and Dar Dean, fans of Tony's TV and radio programs, and supportive businesses, that goal has been met six months ahead of schedule, allowing the Committee to start working on the second step of fundraising.
The second phase of fundraising will be aimed at establishing a permanent funding mechanism for continuing and possibly expanding current outdoor youth education programs.
Once again, a major fundraising event for the Tony Dean's Acres project has surpassed expectations.
Special thanks to the following for their assistance in organizing and promoting the December 19 event:
Ron Schara, Ron Schara Productions
Dennis Anderson, Star Tribune outdoors editor & columnist
Steve & Connie Halverson, Halverson farm, Kennebec, SD
Pierre Capital Journal
KCCR Radio
KGFX Radio
The Reminder
Todd Schuetzle, Dakota Properties Real Estate, auctioneer
Ramkota River Centre, Pierre, SD
Ted Turner's Bad River Ranch, Ft. Pierre, SD
Jim Suedkamp, Pierre, SD
Sunshine Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America, Pierre, SD
South Dakota Walleyes Unlimited/Central South Dakota Chapter
SLIDE SHOW:This PowerPoint slide show of photos and comments about Tony Dean was compiled by Tony and Dar's son Cameron DeChandt for a public celebration of Tony Dean's life, held on November 1, 2008.
