The Flathead Valley is a number of things: home to many, both two-footed and hump-backed and four-footed (and some members of both species, grizzled), a popular destination for all things Glacier, and, impressively, giving. Each year I continue to be amazed by the generosity of this community. Take this past fall’s 10th annual Great Fish Challenge, hosted by the Whitefish Community Foundation. The organization raised a boggling $6.6 million to support 80 Flathead area nonprofits. My guess is many of you donated to that challenge and will likely continue to open your wallets to the many charitable organizations that work to improve the lives and landscapes we hold close to our hearts. We may be a small valley in terms of population, even with our explosive two-footed population growth, but there continues to be a strong philanthropic streak, benefiting those who need help with housing and basic needs to maintain the vast network of trails that many of us take to in hopes of glimpsing our four-footed neighbors.
Not a week goes by without reading about a family or individual who has contributed to an important project that will benefit generations to come, including donating land to the city of Kalispell for a much-needed park on the city’s growing westside neighborhood or funding a performing arts building at Flathead Valley Community College. In Bigfork, the community celebrates the recent opening of its library, a gorgeous building funded by a large and varied group of donors working with the ImagineIF Library Foundation. Across this valley, individuals and organizations work hard to create lasting positive impacts that many of us benefit from.
While many of these achievements require the funding from those with significant means I know there are countless others who contribute what they can to causes they care about. If it’s not money, it’s often time or talent. Whether that’s delivering meals to those in need or helping to stock a food pantry or organizing a supply drive for a classroom, so many people are generous with their giving spirit. In the 20 years since I’ve lived here, I can count on one hand the number of people I know who don’t serve on a board or volunteer. It’s part of our culture in northwest Montana to help our neighbors, even if the project is small in scope like scheduling meals to an elder in need, or decades in the making, like building a library or a public trail system. Also leading this civic work are the many small businesses that rarely say no to donating an item for an auction or sponsor a youth sports league. Local businesses, big or small, focus their time and efforts on the community and are often enlisted hundreds, if not thousands, of times a year to help with a project…