Hall of Fame 2024-25
William "Bill" Garvey, Sr.
William “Bill” Garvey, Sr. He is a 1973 graduate from South Sioux City and has been very active in the community for most of this life. His parents instilled in him the importance of volunteering and making a difference in the community in which you live in. Even in retirement, Bill is still involved with many community projects.
In his early years, Bill would volunteer to coach soccer and t-ball, was a Boy Scout Troop 149 leader and later joined the South Sioux City Jaycees. He has been awarded a lifetime membership to the PTA and the American Legion Post #307.
Bill has been a member of South Sioux City Booster Club for over 30 years. He was one of the members who not only fundraised for the weight room but showed up every day and physically built the weight room pouring concrete and cutting rebar at the South Sioux City High school in early 90’s. He served as an officer on the board for several years. He was part of the team that started the annual booster club basketball tournament. He and his wife Donna ran the concessions stand at the Booster Club Basketball tournament for many years.
At a very young age, he volunteered for the Pete’s Feeders program from 1962-2008. Then in 2008, Bill stepped in and helped form what is now Cardinal Christmas Baskets. This program has continued the work of Pete’s Feeders and has provided a holiday meal to low-income families for the past 16 years. Bill helps co-coordinate, all the fundraising, volunteers, the food donations, packing and distribution and delivery of this program which requires hundreds of volunteers. In the last 16 years, this organization has provided over 4,800 baskets to low-income families during the holidays.
Bill also coordinates the distribution of hundreds of pounds of donated beef annually from Tyson Foods to community events like post prom, music boosters, wrestling and basketball programs and local food pantries.
As a member of South Sioux City Optimist, since 2006, he is actively involved in all activities through the Optimist organization. Most recently, he started a bike rehabilitation project, as part of his involvement in Leadership Dakota County, where they picked up used bikes, refurbished them, and gave them to kids in need. Today, the Club has partnered with Waste Connections to continue the Bike Project. He has also served as a board member and treasurer for the Optimist Club.
Bill also serves on the local food council for the Dakota County Voices for Food and has been a board member since 2015. As a member of this council, Bill serves as treasurer, helps coordinate food projects, always steps up with resources and funds when needed. Anytime a project is in the works, and something is needed, Bill always “knows a guy” that can help! He is a huge asset to the council that has helped change the food system in South Sioux City. He is an active part of a council that put over 127,000 pounds of fresh produce back into the food system for low-income families in 10 years. He does everything from serving on the board, fundraising, moving produce, and he shows up on workdays to cut tomato cages or to collect grass clippings to put on the garden. No job is too big or too small for Bill.
Bill is a member of the South Sioux City Foundation board- a community foundation that provides financial support to local programs for community betterment. This foundation provides financial support to programs like Cardinal Christmas Baskets, Voices for Food, and Freedom Park. He works on many projects through the foundation from playgrounds, YMCA programs, food security, the senior center and fundraising.
Most recently, in June of 2022 the So. Sioux City Senior Center closed its doors. They lost their director, cook and a part of their board stepped down. Bill called, concerned that 80 seniors were now going without home delivered meals, and someone needed to do something. That someone was once again, Bill Garvey. He collaborated with several agencies in town, received commitments of close to $50,000, to work to reopen the center. He personally collaborated with another partner to look over the financials of the center, recruited people to serve on the new board, and started having meetings with new members to work to re-open the center. Most recently, this board secured a $456,000 grant to redo the kitchen and the facility to get it back open for seniors and meals on meals. This just goes to show who Bill is, Bill sees a need and always finds a way to meet it.
Bill has volunteered for over 30 years in South Sioux City Nebraska. Some of the other organizations that Bill has been and/or still is a member of are Siouxland Freedom Park, South Sioux City Tree Board, South Sioux City American Legion Post #307, and Growing Community Connections.
The most honorable characteristic of all about Bill, is that he would likely defer praise and say he had a lot of help from others within the community. Especially, from his wife, Donna. When asked why he volunteers, he said: “I’m fortunate enough to be on a team that makes a difference. I’m sure I speak for others, but none of us are involved for publicity or glory. We just want to improve our little corner of the world.” There are truly not enough words to describe the integrity, and heart of this man, or enough time and space to say what he has done for the people in our community.