Thank you, Elves
Decorating Bigfork in celebration of Christmas exemplifies the spirit of volunteerism and the special people of our community. It is their effort that ensures the success of various projects each year. Over the years Decorating Day has grown and become a fun, festive, and wonderful social interaction for all ages. Thank you to all who participated.
For some, the effort goes on all year. Ray Schletz, Chief Bulb Turner sets up shop and spends endless hours with Elves untangling Christmas lights and replacing bulbs. Martha Groenke and her squadron of bow makers prepare for Decorating Day well in advance. Dozens of volunteers spend a day thinning overgrown forests and collecting 500 plus evergreens.
The Masons provided a hearty chili lunch and the Lady Lions served the 200 plus volunteer Elves. Thank you to Bob and Susie Keenan for providing the warm atmosphere of the Bigfork Inn, Mister and his staff at the Garden Bar for providing chili and beer for the Un-decorating crew and to Andrea Goff of the Bigfork Chamber for coordinating and distributing roping and greenery to each of the businesses to be ready for Decorating Day.
Over 30 flight leaders commit to taking responsibility for overseeing each sector of the village and offering Elf assistance. The flight leaders are an essential part of the process. The Elves look forward to seeing all the business owners who missed the decorating or un-decorating to be there in jolly form next season. If you would like to volunteer as a flight leader call Deb at 837-4391.
It was a pleasure for Deb Navratil and myself and the Flathead Lake Lodge staff to organize the efforts.
Thank you to all the Elves.
Thank you to the following people for making cash donations to the Elf Account.
Mary Jo Naive, Ted and Martha Groenke, Frank and Mildred Crane, Kathy McDonnell, Bigfork Development Corporation, Elizabeth Wetzel, Pamela Reed of ARTfusion, Susan Gorbett. (The Elf account could use your support, please make your donation to Bigfork Elves c/o Flathead Bank).
Thank you to Chuck and Becky Sneed of United Tool and Rental for donating LIFTS to decorate and undecorated. Thanks to Trails West Eagle Bend Realty, Flathead Bank, Rocky Mountain Bank, Lakehills IGA and Flathead Lake Lodge for donating $500 each to pay for additional lifts.
A special contribution of aerial lifts is always made by Flathead Electric, Centurytel and Bresnan Communications. Thank you to Joe Compston of Bresnan Communications, Kirk Burris, Dustin Anderson, Larry Bane and Scott Kiser of Centurytel. Thank you to Dave and Debbie Biggar, Teresa Miller, Jeanne Iverson, Ken Sugden, Mary Olson, Diane Robertson, Linda Galpin, Karen Francis, Carol Van Luven, and Jerry Brobst of Flathead Electric for assisting us.
Additional thanks to:
?Montana Bistro, Showthyme, Nans Cafe and The Garden Bar for providing certificates
to thank the lift operators.
?The students that assisted in dropping off trees the day before D-Day!
?The Flathead Lake Lodge staff for support and assistance and hosting the breakfast.
?BFI for donating the dumpsters for disposal of trees and garland.
?The County Landfill for free disposal of the dumpster contents.
?Doug Averill and Deb Navratil for helping to coordinated to keep this tradition alive.
?KGIG for radio announcements and to the Bigfork Eagle and Lake Shore County
Journal for printing announcements.
And one more thank you to Fritz Groenke for getting out of bed to un-decorate just in time to have his picture in the Eagle!
Doug Averill
Secretary of Decorating
Bigfork