ABBIE SHELTER

On behalf of all the homeless pets at the Humane Society of Northwest Montana that are being helped by the Whitefish Community Foundation, it is a joy to report that our Great Fish Community Challenge grant in the amount of $10,200 is being applied to our direct critical care program. Since receiving the grant on October 18th, the Humane Society has used 22% of the funds to spay five puppies, neuter eight puppies, neuter one adult cat, and vaccinate three puppies, two adult cats and two adult dogs.

~Humane Society of NW Montana

Thank you so much Whitefish Community Foundation for connecting the Flathead Food Bank and other amazing organizations with donors to help us fulfill our missions. With the communities’ support, we will be able to provide nutritious food to over 7,500 individuals each year at our Kalispell and mobile pantry locations in the Canyon and Kila/Marion area. In addition to over 400 students a year in our Back Pack program and 750 seniors in our senior commodity program.

~Flathead Food Bank

FYH received $35,135 through the GFC. This funding is an investment in developing supportive relationships between youth and staff. These relationships form the basis for the healing in their lives. In our care, we become their “people”; the ones to walk with them through the challenges and celebrations of their lives. An excerpt from a past resident’s letter sums up best what support from our community through the GFC means, “Staff at FYH are completely compassionate. They have done nothing but support me, nurture me, and simply be here for me…. They willingly participate in my journey through grievance, sobriety, and fellowship. I love them all.”

~Flathead Youth Home

The donations raised during the Great Fish Challenge 2018 will fund the NVH Education-Simulation activities for the next 18-24 months. NVH will be able to contract with the non-profit SIM-MT mobile simulation lab to visit the hospital on a regular basis and train with the clinical care teams on a rotating schedule. These interdisciplinary team based real-life simulations with high fidelity mannequins are the state of the art training for rural hospitals. The additional funds raised will help to convert semi-private rooms to private rooms on the med/surg floor and help to install noise reduction improvements in rooms.

~North Valley Hospital Foundation

No one should be forced to live in an unsafe, unhealthy, unaffordable place. For many families in our communities that is their story. At Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley we work to create a world where everyone has a decent place to live! The Great Fish Community Challenge granted $88.837.98 towards our mission. The result – 888+ square feet of safe, healthy, and affordable housing can be built. A home for a family creates a story of strength, stability and self-reliance. It transforms their world – our world. That’s our partner family’s experience – their story. Working together, it’s our story! Grateful!

~Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley

Deepest gratitude to the donors, Circle of Giving members and Great Fish Challengers… your hearts for abused and neglected kids in our Valley are changing lives through your support of Child Bridge. This year, $137,270 was raised via 83 gifts. Child Bridge has recruited the vast majority of the families who care for approximately 200 local kids in foster care and touches most of the children and the families who care for them with resources and relationships. Local children are finding hope and healing in foster/adoptive families in their time of need. Just think…where would these children be without you?

~Child Bridge

Strategic planning for a College Center at FVCC began in 2014 when a need was identified for a more comprehensive student life program and a larger venue for enriched learning opportunities for students and the community. Funds raised through the Great Fish Community Challenge will help build the College Center to address these needs. College Center construction will begin spring 2019, with plans to open the facility in fall 2020. This project will impact 3,405 credited FVCC students and thousands of Flathead Valley residents annually.

~FVCC Foundation

THANK YOU so very much for tirelessly supporting our community non- profits. Stumptown Art Studio raised $28,976 through the 2018 Great Fish Challenge, (including a matching grant of $9780), providing critical funding for our efforts to provide art programs and services that enrich our community. We are grateful for the opportunity to bring people of all ages and abilities together to share their creative talents, passions and customs. And we are honored to be a part of such an amazing community that is progressing in a positive direction thanks to forward thinking leaders such as the Whitefish Community Foundation & Great Fish Challengers! The future is bright, Whitefish!

~Stumptown Art Studio

Music enriches our world and has the power to change lives and our community. The Great Fish Challenge has changed fundraising in the Whitefish area and continues to help NVMS keep lessons and programs accessible to everyone. This year we served over 700 students through private lessons (208), group classes (100), Suzuki classes (12), Glee Club (54), Acoustic Jam (4+/week), and Instrument Petting Zoos (300+), the latter four are completely funded through the Great Fish Community Challenge.

North Valley Music School

Child Bridge: "$ Plus prayer."

Kirk and Lynn Taylor

Whitefish Sports Facility Foundation: "Glacier Youth Hockey is a fabulous venue for the youth of the Flathead Valley."

Josh Joseph

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flathead County: "BBBS is awesome!"

Cameron Egbert

Tamarack Grief: "We love TGRC!"

Lindsey Nichols

Nate Chute Foundation: "Thank you for all that you do for our community!"

Sarah Boilen

WAG - "I love this park. I'm new to the area and my sweet pooch is used to running miles on the beach most days. She is slowly learning that THIS is the new beach! LOL"

Elisabeth Donati

CASA For Kids: "CASA advocates for foster children, giving the children a voice and support while they are in foster care."

Jamie Campbell

Whitefish Review: "Happy to continue our support."

Rick and Bish Robbbins

Whitefish Review: "Woot woot!"

Ian Griffiths

Friends of Flathead Avalanche Center: "Thanks for all the great work!"

Gabriel Dillon

Nate Chute Foundation - "NCF is supporting our community in a way that is desperately needed by breaking the silence about suicide and helping build resilience in our young people. Hopefully we can look forward to a future where those struggling will reach out and lives can be saved."

Sara Straka

Friends of the Flathead Avalanche Center: "I love FOFAC! Their classes are offered way below cost. Our gifts mean they can keep their classes accessible."

Sarah Cobler

Friends of the Flathead Avalanche Center: "Glad to contribute more money towards the great education you all provide. Thanks from the Patrol Fund."

Judith Christiansen

Whitefish Review: "Best thing ever!"

Scott Dreher

WAG: "Thank you for sharing your amazing park with our Lulabelle!!!"

Michael McDonnell

Whitefish Veterans Support Team: "Great thanks to the veterans for their service and to the Whitefish Veterans Support Team for everything that you all do!"

Dean Jordan

Nate Chute Foundation: "Let's stand on the side of reaching out rather than silence."

Patrick Malone

Nate Chute Foundation: "I so appreciated hearing about the camp that was run to help young people talk together about concerns. Yes, suicide prevention starts wtih understanding and caring about one another."

Virginia Edwards

North Valley Music School: "Camp Amadeus is a magical, musical summer experience for kids!"

Ruth L Ackroyd

DREAM Adaptive Recreation: "This is a wonderful program we've worked with since the beginning! It has been a great program for the school aged kids with disabilities in our area to learn new skills in winter sports! It has been a fun, courage and esteem building program for them!"

Marcus and Jeanne Carlson

Whitefish Firefighter's Association: "Thanks for saving our house!"

Diane Tague

"DREAM Adaptive is amazing. They provide opportunities to youth and adults that allow them to take part in activites they otherwise couldn't."

Linda Hicks

Glacier Institute: "Thanks for all you do."

Mary Owens

"Love the Whitefish Review!"

Mary and Ben Dorman

"Go NVMS!"

Kelsey Schmid-Sommer

DREAM Adaptive Recreation: "Great people, great organization - thank you!"

Terrence Smith

DREAM Adaptive Recreation: "Keep up the good work!"

Tricia Hines

Sparrow's Nest Northwest Montana: "Thank you for helping our local youth!"

Jennifer Ruffing

Stumptown Art Studio: "Best field trips for our adopted classroom at Helena Flats! The kids just love it and so do we."

Diane Yarus

Casa For Kids: "So thankful for this organization and all their hard work!"

Carrie Thiel

North Valley Music School "Keep up the great work!"

Sterling Ray

DREAM Adaptive Recreation: "What a wonderful program!"

Traci Heydorff

Whitefish Review: "You inspire everyone you touch with the talent and good writing featured in every issue."

Greta Friel

"The Whitefish Community Center is a wonderful, welcoming place for our senior population."

Sarah Stewart

Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley: "Awesome group doing awesome work!!"

Ginger Rembold

Whitefish Review: "Keep up the great work."

Michael Mullen

Whitefish Legacy Partners: "Love the new recreational opportunities!"

Jeff and Amy Mow

Glacier Institute: "A wonderful partner to Glacier National Park."

Jeff and Amy Mow

Glacier Nordic Club: "Hoping for another great winter on our local trails."

Jeff and Amy Mow

"Dream Adaptive Recreation is a wonderful organization and we are glad to support it."

Adelaide and Richard Kimball

Flathead Shelter Friends: "Love our animal friends!!!"

Alison Ferber

"North Valley Music School - you guys are the best!"

Michael Gross

North Valley Music School: "Thanks to John Browning for getting the word out about this great music school!"

Thomas Browning

Thank you local businesses for your support kicking off the 4th annual Great Fish Community Challenge: Mackenzie River Pizza, Craggy Range, Whitefish Lake Restaurant, Buffalo Cafe, Subway of Whitefish, Jersey Boys Pizza, Great Northern Brewing Company, and Markus Foods.

Whitefish Review: "Retired and broke but, I have my nonprofits that deserve my donation. It's small in numbers but filled with heart."

Kim Baraby Hurtle

"Flathead Youth Home, Fantastic Organization!"

Lynn Whyte

"Alpine Theatre Project, Keep up the amazing work!"

Kelly Redfield

"Whitefish Review, thanks for all you bring to our community. We are so fortunate!"

Lisa Jones

Samaritan House: "Keep up the great work for our homeless individuals and families."

Sherry Schauble

The 2018 Great Fish Community Challenge gift to CRYJ totaled $37,323! Your generosity supports opportunities for more than 200 local teens to develop life skills, foster community connections and explore healthy decision-making. CRYJ’s accountability and empowerment workshops increase community safety by providing justice system diversion, breaking cycles of harm, and improving opportunities for teens who are currently, or at risk of entering the justice system. The Great Fish Challenge is an invaluable resource in helping the Flathead Valley community address the needs of young people and those who care for them with empathy, insight and innovation.

~ Center for Restorative Youth Justice

The Great Fish Match Fund will start at $200,000. Your gift to the Match Fund will inspire our community to give. Click Donate Now to help the Match Grow!

Sign up to volunteer for the Great Fish Community Challenge Color Run and Community Celebration. Click Volunteer under the Nonprofits tab.

Come out and celebrate the Challenge that is helping our community run on September 8
Great Fish Community Challenge Color Run and Community Celebration

Over $15,000 in Incentive Grants will be awarded throughout the Challenge! Watch the Whitefish Pilot each week for the next incentive announcement.

A big thank you to The Wave Aquatic and Fittness Center for hosting the 4th annual Great Fish Launch event!

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