On Thursday, May 5th and Friday, May 6th, community members near and far have an opportunity to give back to the nonprofit organizations that work to make the Bitterroot such a special place to live. Bitterroot Gives is a 26-hour online giving event in partnership with Missoula Gives.
“Bitterroot Gives is an engaging opportunity for community members and visitors to support local nonprofits and to learn about the variety of great impacts these organizations make in our Valley,” said Alex Ocañas, who is the Bitter Root Water Forum’s new lead for community-driven efforts, taking it on from Katie Vennie. The Water Forum, one of the participating nonprofits, works to keep water in the Bitterroot for the Bitterroot, through on-the-ground restoration projects and watershed education.
Donations can be made online at www.bitterrootgives.org from 5 p.m. Thursday, May 5, through 7 p.m. Friday, May 6. Offline donations in the form of checks or cash, which can be mailed in or dropped off, are also encouraged. Check with the individual nonprofit you would like to support for details on offline donations.
Many of the organizations secure matching funds from local businesses or donors that will help donations go even further. “For the Bitter Root Water Forum, we have $10,000 in matching funds thanks to the generosity of Farmers State Bank, private donors, and a private foundation,” says Ocañas. “Having such stellar community-wide support means so much to us as Bitterroot non-profits. It’s impressive to see what our cmmunity can accomplish when we do it together.”
Twenty-three local nonprofits are participating this year including Bitterroot Health Foundation, Bitterroot Heritage Civic Group, Bitter Root Humane Association, Bitter Root Land Trust, Bitter Root Water Forum, Bitterroot Aquatic Center Foundation, Bitterroot Celtic Society, Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club, Bitterroot Valley Chorus, Coding for Kids, Daly Mansion Preservation Trust, Emma’s House, HEARTism Community Center, Hamilton Players, Linda Massa Youth Home, Lost Trail Ski Patrol, Montana Guardian Fund, Montana School for the Deaf and Blind, Play Like Robert Foundation, Ravalli
County Museum Historical Society, SAFE, Travelers’ Rest Connection, and Tuesday at Twelve.
“Bitterroot Gives is the only time that we solicit donations from the public in support of the Jean Matthews Tuesday at Twelve Summer Concert Series,” said Russ Lawrence. “Our business sponsors provide most of our support, but individual gifts make the difference between ‘scraping by’, and doing it right—and we turn every dollar into music, just like magic!”
The Bitter Root Humane Association is PAWS-ing to celebrate 50 years of caring for animals and helping the people that love them.
Donations made to the Daly Mansion during Bitterroot Gives 2022 will go directly towards restoration projects such as maintenance of the trees throughout the grounds, restoration of Molly’s and Mrs. Daly’s rooms inside the Mansion, and more. The DMPT Board is providing a match amount of $500 and there will be donor challenges.
Coding for Kids is raising money to purchase new robotics equipment for elementary classes and to hire high school students as teacher’s assistants for summer classes.
SAFE is raising funds for their emergency shelter expansion project, HOME SAFE, and Farmers State Bank is matching funds up to $2500.
Emma’s House is raising money for its trauma treatment programs and has received a dollar-for-dollar match up to $ 2,500 from TrailWest Bank.
The Bitterroot Aquatic Center Foundation is raising money to be used as scholarships for underprivileged children for swim lessons and for an outdoor improvement project that includes a small playground, new picnic tables, poolside chairs, and a shade structure.
Lost Trail Ski Patrol, an all-volunteer Ski Patrol which provides the highest quality, most well-trained medical first response to the skiing and riding public at Lost Trail Ski Area.
Bitterroot Heritage Civic Group is raising funds for an educational mural to be placed in the Sacajawea Rest Park in Darby featuring local artists.
HEARTism is offering 10 weeks of summer camp for children with special needs, including activities like canoeing, kayaking, art, dance, a fly-fishing clinic, a nature camp, and a new integrated music camp.
The Bitterroot Valley Chorus is excited to present its 50th annual free Christmas concert and hopes that you can support them.
The Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club encourages you to help continue to make this valley an amazing place to live year-round by providing over 49 miles of donation-supported winter trails in the Bitterroot to cross country skiers, fat bikers, mushers, snowshoers, and snowmobiles.
The Bitterroot Health Foundation is raising funds to build a Cancer/Infusion Center on the campus of Bitterroot Health – Daly Hospital and the goal for Bitterroot Gives is to raise funds to buy three infusion chairs at $3,000 each, which will be matched by a private donor.
Thanks to your belief in the work of the Bitter Root Land Trust over the last 25 years, conservation in the Bitterroot Valley is heading toward some amazing milestones. Currently, over a dozen families are waiting in line to conserve critical Bitterroot lands. Your donation through Bitterroot Gives can help make conservation a reality for these families, for the wide-open spaces we love, the wildlife that calls this place home, and our Bitterroot way of life.
More information can be found at www.bitterrootgives.org.