The June 2005 Citizen of the Month is an exceptional individual who has touched the lives of many people. We are very pleased to present this Citizen of the Month award to LuVerne Boes.

LuVerne Boes is the co-chair for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event. He has given hundreds of hours to this event that raises money for research, education and advocacy programs for those diagnosed with cancer. The detail and organization of this event is enormous and LuVerne has willingly stepped up to help provide the leadership necessary to make the event successful. When he began his involvement with the Relay for Life several years ago in Virginia, he did not personally know anyone with cancer but had a strong desire to see a cure for the disease.

The annual Relay for Life is held at the South Dakota School of Mines and is a time consuming event. Anyone who has attended and/or participated knows that a lot of hard work goes into this fundraiser and planning is truly a year long process. LuVerne’s nominator states that he so deserves to be recognized because he has so much enthusiasm for the project and he never takes credit for the work done, he passes on the praise to all the volunteers and committee members. The Relay for Life event is not only about awareness, but an opportunity for remembrance to those lost to cancer and for survivors, to celebrate life.