Local works to make a difference for world's kids

When Bigfork area resident Natalie Burggraf travels abroad, she doesn't look for a nice beach resort where she can go relax. Instead, her criteria is poverty.

Over the past 32 years, Burggraf has traveled to so many different countries that she's lost count, but her goal is always the same: to help children in need.

"It's hard for me to keep track," Burggraf said of the number of countries she's visited. "As I get older, it's difficult for me to remember. I remember the important things though."

Burggraf works to bring toys as well as school and medical supplies to impoverished children around the world during her trips overseas to places most people wouldn't think of going, like on a Trans-Seberian tour, a visit to the Five 'Stans (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan) or excursions on Indonesian islands that aren't even on maps. All of it stems from her desire to bring hope to those in need.

"I do things here in the United States. It's financial things. I donate a lot of money to causes in the states," Burggraf said. "But these are people who have never seen a TV. It does my heart good that I'm helping."

Her mantra is at quote that she has hanging on the wall in her home along with pictures and mementos from her travels:

"A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove … but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child."

For 27 years, Burggraf ran a bed and breakfast in the Bigfork area. When she retired three years ago, it was the oldest single-operator bed and breakfast in the state. A portion of the profits from her business she took for the children, as well as the proceeds from recipes she had published.

It all began with a trip to China. She went on a tour with 40 people and decided that style of travel wasn't for her. Since then, she's only done independent tours with herself, a driver and a guide.

"That's the way I've been doing it ever since," she said.

Her husband, R.J., doesn't travel with her often. He stays home and takes care of the dogs.

"My husband is a sweetheart for putting up with this," she said.

Burggraf decided to use her wanderlust to bring joy to other parts of the world. The year after her trip to China, one of later several, she went to a "dollar store" and bought items to give away where ever it was she might be going. Each year it grew and grew. It started with one extra suitcase and then expanded to two huge pieces of luggage. Sometimes she shipped boxes ahead of her.

Now when she travels she seeks out all the schools and orphanages she can find and hopes to spread a little joy.

She takes over anything that might be of use, including clothes she doesn't wear any more. She even passes out any toiletries she gets in hotel rooms during her travels as well.

"Everything I transfer back to the locals," she said.

Now that she's retired, she's able to increase her trips from once a year to three times a year. She averages three months of the year overseas. She's on her fifth passport.

"Every year the trips got longer and more interesting," Burggraf said.

She's also now received some help from others in the Flathead Valley. Teresa Kelly of Kalispell has given her jewelry, nail polish, lipstick and other items to hand out. Molly Betson, also of Kalispell, ever year now gives her 300 to 500 stuffed animals to take to children.

"If it wasn't for Molly, I wouldn't have half the toys I take," Burggraf said.

As a result of Burggraf's donations, many of the schools and orphanages perform for her — skits, songs and dances. And, inevitably, the children capture her heart at each place she goes. Last time she went on a trip, which was about two months ago, she was at an Uzbekistan orphanage and she was drawn to a boy with club feet and without arms from the elbow down.

"There's always one boy or girl that steals my heart," Burggraf said.

She takes pictures of them and with them, so she can carry them with her. Nearly every inch of wall space in her home is filled with photographs and memories from her journeys. She also has more than 38 plastic bins with likely thousands of photographs.

Most of the time, her generosity is well received, though there have been hostile occasions.

A group in Jordan wouldn't accept clothes because they wanted their native dress. She's showed up at an orphanage with a truck loaded with toys and other items and been refused.

But, for the most part, her experiences have been positive and she keeps going.

On her journeys she's met a number of fascinating people, from the individual children to the royalty of Bhutan.

"I've never met a stranger I didn't know," Burggraf said.

Of all the countries she's traveled to, one of her favorites is India.

"It's so fascinating, mysterious and intriguing," Burggraf said. "The people are so wonderful and I've been throughout India."

Her first trip to the country was during the Gulf War. Few other people were traveling, so every place she went, including the Taj Mahal, was empty.

But, of all the places in the world, her very favorite spot is a place up in the Yukon with no TV, radio or traffic. She describes it as 'serenity."

"I can go there and reflect," she said.

Each time she goes to get shots before her trip at the county health department, she's told she's had more different inoculations in Flathead and Lake County than all the other people. In fact, she's done so many trips to diverse places that she's starting to run out of options.

"It's getting hard and harder with the world situations," Burggraf said. "It's dangerous and there are a lot of places I can't go."

But, that won't stop her from continuing her efforts.

"I think I've made the world a better place —at least, I try," she said.