Bigfork Lady Lions raise $15,000

It’s a jungle out there when it comes to fundraising in the Flathead, and the Lady Lions of Bigfork know it.

Although the club only meets once a month for nine months of the year, they are able to raise up to $15,000 a year for local nonprofits, charities and scholarships.

“This is a very motivated working group. When we have something to do, everyone antes up and does it,” Bigfork Lady Lions Co-President Chris Easton said.

But things weren’t always this way for the club, now over 50 years old. The Lady Lions of Bigfork nearly disbanded in the early 2000s.

Now with just 20 members on the roster and a smaller core group due to seasonal residents, the Lady Lions have their work cut out for them. The majority of the Lady Lions are retirees spending their golden years in the Bigfork area.

“Quite a few people are not native Montanans, we’ve moved from California and it was one way of helping out our community because we all came here for a reason: because we like Bigfork and we like the Flathead Valley,” Bigfork Lady Lions co-President Ann Gruye’ said.

According to Ann Tucker, about five years ago the club started increasing their fundraising efforts with the Bigfork Lady Lions Restaurant Coupon Book that has deals for restaurants from Polson to Whitefish and everywhere in between. Only 300 copies are printed, but the booklet raises about $7,000 each year.

The secret to their success with the restaurant coupon book stems from spreading it across the valley since Bigfork’s small size and unincorporated status makes donation requests very common for local businesses while ones outside the village may not get requests as frequently, according to Gruye’.

The club’s other big fundraiser for the year is also a coupon book, the Herberger’s Community Days event. Bigfork Lady Lions Treasurer Sandee Rogers said they usually sell 100 of the Herberger’s books and then get invited to sell more during the store’s actual sale day. This fundraiser rakes in about $3,000.

“You’ve got to be a tiny bit abrasive and pull the people in, you got to talk it up. Fortunately we are big talkers, might be why we’re able to sell so many,” Rogers said. “We’re just a bunch of older ladies that try to help the community.”

The Lady Lions don’t always fundraise on their own. During the Northwest Montana Fair they team up with the Bigfork Masonic Lodge to sell huckleberry shakes.

There are just a few simple guidelines the group follows when deciding how to put their money to good use. Keeping the funds local is a key factor, but beneficiaries must also be nonprofit and in need of private funding.

Some of the groups in the area to be helped by the Bigfork Lady Lions include the Veterans’ Food Panty, Abbie Shelter, Samaritan House, Neighbors in Need, Ray of Hope, Save-a-Sister, the Boys and Girls Clubs, and Flathead Cares. This list is based on need and when the club hears about a local organization looking for funds.

They also provide a yearly scholarship to Flathead Valley Community College and help with the Bigfork Food Bank. They also pay for one month’s rent for the Bigfork Museum.

“I think we all know that a small community such as Bigfork has to have community support,” Gruye’ said. “It’s kind of a social thing, but social for a reason.”

The group is currently challenging other Bigfork clubs to match the funds they raise for the Bigfork Middle School’s trip to Washington D.C. on April 21. It costs $1,857 per student to go, and BMS has 38 students signed up and not all of them can afford it.

While touring the Capitol with the Close Up program, BMS students will debate with students from across the country, participate in workshops, and experience U.S. government in action.

“Some of those kids don’t even get out of their backyard, and who knows, they could be president someday,” Rogers said.

The group meets on the first Monday of the month at 5 p.m. at Chris’ Tea Cottage from September through June. For more information about the Bigfork Lady Lions call Easton at 837-1010.