Lesnar Family Profile

LOCAL FAMILY PROFILE | LESNAR

SERVICE TO OTHERS A CORE VALUE AT THE LESNAR HOME

By Bob Fitch

Service to others and leading by example are core values at the Harrisburg home of Casey and Kelsey Lesnar .

Their 7-year-old daughter, Lenora, has been showcasing those values while she wears the crown of Tiny Miss Harrisburg. Lenora has been a vocal cheering section for all things Harrisburg. Through Facebook and other channels, she’s shown a spotlight on events in the city such as the car show, Lava’s Harvest Festival, and the Harrisburg Parks archery basics event.

In addition, Lenora teamed up with the community library to collect food for the local food pantry during September’s Hunger Action Month. She and the other Little Miss Harrisburg princesses helped hand out programs and Cracker Jacks at the dedication of Dakota Access Field by the Harrisburg Baseball Association. Plus she recruited some of her friends to help rake leaves during the Active Generations “Rake The Town” event. She’ll also participate in the chamber’s holiday lighting ceremony.

Kelsey said, “We normally take part in the events in town and I just thought Lenora’s time as Tiny Miss Harrisburg could be another resource to promote worthwhile causes – someone different to ask for food for the food pantry or people to help rake at the rake-a-thon. Maybe her role can be another way to bring people together.”

Lenora is a first grader at Freedom Elementary and will move to Adventure next year as part of the Tiger Reserve program. She’s also involved in ballet, competitive dance, Acro and competitive dance team at Pulse Dance Studio in Harrisburg; and competitive cheer at Dakota Spirit in Sioux Falls.

According to Kelsey, “The things she’s done have been pretty simple, but we wanted her experience to be more than just winning the crown and riding in the parade. She’s usually shy, but this involvement has helped her be more vocal and talk to more people.” Lenora has enjoyed doing events with Miss Teen Harrisburg Leia Rombough. Leia recently became Miss Teen South Dakota International 2023.

Not to be outdone by her younger sister or her classmate Leia, Kelsey and Casey’s older daughter, Ava, was named Miss Junior Teen South Dakota International 2023. Lenora was first runner-up in the state Little Miss Division.

Ava is 14 and a freshman at Harrisburg High School. She’s an

Kelsey and Casey Lesnar with their children, Lane, Ava, Lex and Lenora . Photo by Marissa Whipple .

honor student, plays basketball and runs track. She also works for the WagZone dog walking and let-out service. The job provides flexibility with her sports schedule.

Casey said, “If you’re wondering where all the involvement comes from, it’s their mom. I’m not going to take credit.” One of

As part of her role at Tiny Miss Harrisburg, Lenora Lesnar has helped promote local community causes, including the Harrisburg Area Food Pantry . Lane, Ava, Lenora, Lex and Kelsey delivering thermal tote bags to parents who have children in the Sanford newborn intensive care unit (NICU) . Also pictured is a representative of Sanford Health . Lenora and Ava at the South Dakota International Pageant .

Kelsey’s most important efforts is to give thermal bags to mom’s with children in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) at Sanford Medical Center.

Casey said, “A lot of times you have to haul breast milk from home to the hospital or vice versa; the thermal bags help with that.” Kelsey added, “Or you can use it to bring healthy food from home because you go sit there all day with your baby.” Friends, family and others sponsor one or more bags and then the Lesnar family adds tissues, hand sanitizer, drinks and snacks. Ava and Lenora help their mom shop for the extra goodies, do an assembly line to fill them, and then deliver to Sanford. Over the past two years, they’ve donated about 180 NICU thermal bags

The cause is near and dear to their hearts. On July 16, 2020, their sons, Lane and Lex, were born at 26 weeks and weighed only 2 pounds. The boys spent 99 days at the NICU. “When they were born, the babies got hats and blankets. The doctors and nurses often get food catered by families who previously had children there. I thought I should do something for the moms.” Sponsorship of the bags is $25 each.

This year, she started a similar fundraiser to give bags to couples who are utilizing the Sanford Fertility Clinic. And, while Lane and Lex were in the hospital, Kelsey was part of a pilot program called the NICU Read-A-Thon, which has since become an ongoing program.

When she’s not volunteering, Kelsey works part-time from home in customer service for Premier Bankcard. She started working for Premier soon after she graduated from Sioux Falls Washington 14 years ago.

Casey is a pharmacist and the pharmacy manager at Walgreen’s at 26th and Sycamore. He’s a native of Webster and a graduate of South Dakota State University. He stays involved with SDSU by being a preceptor who supervises pharmaceutical interns at Walgreen’s.

“My dad told me I was in the wrong kind of farm, being a pharmacist instead of a farmer. When you grow up on a farm, but work indoors for a living, I always want to spend time working with my hands,” he said. Consequently, he used his construction skills to re-do every room in their 1950’s-era house and, in his free time, fixes up other homes as rentals or to re-sell them.

Lane and Lex are thriving and busy 2-year-olds who like being outdoors. They like to chase the kittens with Lenora; love to explore the “forest” with Ava on the family’s acreage; and enjoy going to Harrisburg parks, the library, The Sandlot and Air Madness. “Lex likes to work on his toy cars, he’s go-go-go. But Lane will sit down and read 30 books in a row. They’re opposites,” Kelsey said. //