Attorney General Distributes Money and Vitamins

(Pierre) – As the result of an antitrust settlement with several vitamin and vitamin component makers, the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office has been awarded over $791,000 for distribution to South Dakota non-profit organizations.

Over $130,000 of the settlement money has been given to the Sioux Falls Food Service Center and over $90,000 has been given to the Black Hills Regional Food Bank. Both organizations will use the settlement money to purchase and distribute food to charitable organizations in all of South Dakota’s 66 counties.

Another $73,000 has been distributed to 25 domestic violence shelters across the state. The United Sioux Tribes received $25,000 to provide nutritional camps for Native American Children. And South Dakota State University was awarded $45,000 for a soybean research project.

“There were a lot of South Dakotans wronged by the practices of these vitamin makers. The money should go back to people, not into the state fund. This distribution is a way for the people, not just the government, to benefit from the settlement,” said Chief Deputy Attorney General Larry Long.

The remainder of the money will be used to purchase children’s and senior vitamins.  Over 50,000 bottles of senior vitamins will be distributed to senior citizen centers across the state.  Domestic violence shelters, Untied Sioux Tribes, Sioux Falls Food Service Center, and the Black Hills Regional Food Bank will receive 50,000 bottles of children’s vitamins for distribution to their clients.

The money is currently being distributed. The vitamin distribution will take place this fall.

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