After 128 years, the Aksarben Ball may still be a bit of a mystery to some.
“Admittedly,” lifelong Nebraskan, Sid Dinsdale commented, “I never understood Aksarben until I was involved. Once you are involved, you get it.”
And the Dinsdale family has most certainly “got it” in their nearly three decades of involvement.
At the 2022 Aksarben Ball, Spotlight on the Heartland , Nebraska and western Iowa families and individuals were once again honored for their volunteerism and philanthropic community service at what was one of the largest events in Aksarben history.
Receiving the night’s highest honor, Dawn and Sid were selected as the Most Honored Citizens. They have a distinguished history with Aksarben. Sid became an Aksarben Councillor in 2005, and a Governor of the Board in 2014. Dawn served on the Women’s Ball Committee 2004-2006; served as Chair in 2006 and Advisor in 2007 and was a proud member of Aksarben Friends.
Their daughter Alison was a Countess in 2002, daughter Paige was a Countess in 2004 and crowned Queen that same year, son Matt was a Page in 1993 and an Escort in 2007. Most recently, the spotlight has shone on several of their grandchildren as Aksarben Pages.
Having lived in various places across the Midwest, the Dinsdales are no strangers to serving and giving back to their communities.
Born in South Dakota, Dawn’s family relocated to Ralston, Nebraska. She grew up there and spent a lot of time when she was young with her grandparents in Marquette, Nebraska. Her college days were spent at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.
Sid was born in Grand Island and raised in Palmer, Nebraska, where he worked in the family feedlots, hay and corn fields. After attending Hastings College for two years, he too made his way to the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.
Dawn graduated with a Bachelor of Science in speech pathology and audiology, and immediately earned a master’s in audiology from UNL. Sid graduated from the University with a bachelor’s in finance. They married in 1976 and he began his career with Pinnacle Banks shortly thereafter, learning his profession from the ground up. She worked at Boys Town National Research Hospital and other Otolaryngology offices.
While living in Colorado and outstate Nebraska, their earliest involvement was Junior Women’s Club of America for Dawn and the area Chambers for Sid. Throughout the years being involved in their church was always important to them and they contributed in numerous ways to their church.
“Having a community business meant that’s just what you did. It was the right thing to do — you served. When you grow up in a town of 425 people, it’s not like you can pick and choose who you’re going to be friends with or do business with. You want to get along with everybody.”
In the early 1990s, moving back to Omaha with three young children, other opportunities presented themselves for both Dawn and Sid.
Inspired by Sid’s uncle Howard who survived a tragic car accident as a quadriplegic, Dawn became involved with Quality Living Inc. While there, she met and worked with some of Omaha’s most passionate and involved volunteers of the 1990s. “Those women motivated me to become even further involved” said Dawn.
Even early on, they modeled for their young children the importance of being involved and contributing to the community. There were no specific expectations or instructions to volunteer or to donate, but rather the lessons were transpired by modeling.
Their family includes sons-in-law J. R. Johnson and Brian Ritter, daughter-in-law Sheena, and nine grandchildren:Georgie, Charlotte, Eva, Violet, Lydia, Will, Graham, Roy and Vivienne. The Dinsdale children continue their parents’ legacy and have established themselves as committed and enthusiastic volunteers in many capacities for dozens of organizations.
More recently, Dawn is known as a champion of giving, an inveterate volunteer. She was named Woman of the Year by the Arthritis Foundation in 2015 and has served in various ways for Assure Women, Completely Kids, Children’s Respite Care Center, Habitat for Humanity, Lauritzen Gardens, Quality Living, Grace University, Special Olympics, Youth for Christ, and Nebraska Children’s Home.
Sid is a member of the Omaha Business Hall of Fame. He has served on the boards of the University of Nebraska Foundation, Bellevue University, Methodist Health System, Ameritas Life Insurance Corporation, Omaha Children’s Hospital, the Platte Institute, and Midland’s Community Hospital.
The couple are goodwill ambassadors for the Midwest. They are justly proud of their ancestral heritage, as well as the steady progress and development the region has enjoyed. As an employer, he honors a community banking model with locations in eight states. In Nebraska, Pinnacle Bank is in 34 communities and has 79 locations. Pinnacle Bank associates proudly do what is best for their customers and communities, supporting local efforts in education, charities, hospitals, sporting arenas, universities, colleges, and the military.
For many years, Dawn and Sid Dinsdale have been enthusiastic advocates and ambassadors for Aksarben. Dawn mused, “There is something extremely powerful about an organization like Aksarben. Even after all these years, people still want to be a part of this incredible organization. Involvement in Aksarben offers the opportunity to meet these fabulous people — people you may have otherwise never met. It is a place where friendships and relationships often start. The networking opportunities are unparalleled and the chance to be a part of something with so much history and tradition is special.
“The importance of getting yourself out there and giving back is, first of all, doing a good thing for the community that you live in and that you love; but with Aksarben’s statewide presence it is also a great opportunity to inspire others and to network.
“The networking and mentoring that happens during the week of Aksarben with the kids is important. I also kind of believe that Aksarben has such a recognition in the community and the state that people wanted to serve because they wanted to be a part of Aksarben,” said Dawn.
For the future, the Dinsdales will continue to invest in and be involved in philanthropy. They don’t know how not to. Their interest now lies in helping organizations and causes in more of an advisory or financial role. They have a special interest in helping faith-based causes.
Will Aksarben be a part of their future? “For sure” both commented. “While Aksarben has evolved over the years, one thing has never changed. Everyone who participates in the Ball is passionate about their communities and committed to their continued prosperity. They’re tweaking things and changing things, but the focus will always be the betterment of the community, no matter what they were.”
“Tradition is not a bad thing. Even as Aksarben has changed, it has always been for the better. Friendship never goes out of style,” remarked Sid.
