Canyon trail organization says thanks

Community support, spirit and determination can make great things happen. A vision for a paved bike and pedestrian path along U.S. 2 from Coram to West Glacier is well on its way to becoming reality thanks to many good people in the Flathead.

The Gateway to Glacier Trail organization recently held two fundraisers which were well supported and attended by our friends and neighbors. The board would like to thank the many folks involved with the planning, preparation and participation in these events.

First, a big thank you goes to Shawna at the Huckleberry Patch restaurant in Hungry Horse for graciously providing the venue for our “Soup Supper” night on Feb. 15. Hot soup on a cold winter evening was quite popular. Thanks to all the folks who prepared delicious soups, sides and desserts, and thanks to all the participants who donated to the bike path by attending this event.

Second, another big thank you goes to Cass Still, Andy Baxter, Heidi Hopper and Christi at the Belton Chalet for hosting our “Movie Night and Pie Auction” on March 1 featuring two documentary films: “The Lookout” by Brian Bolster, featuring Leif Haugen and Thoma Lookout on the Flathead National Forest and “The Mercantile” also by Brian Bolster, featuring the Polebridge Mercantile.

So many individuals were involved in planning and presenting this event, it would be hard to list them all. Among the special folks who dedicated a great deal of time and effort to bring us this event are Terry Divoky, committee chairwoman; Val Parsons, board member of Gateway to Glacier Trail; Leif Haugen, career fire lookout and supporter of lookouts throughout the West; and Heidi Haugen, projectionist and technology coordinator.

They were joined by all Gateway to Glacier Trail members and many local business owners who provided the logistical support for the event. The Pie Auction was especially fantastic. Pies were locally made and donated by community members with a long history of pie-making in the county.

Larry Parsons and Rich Thompson, auctioneers-extraordinaire, deserve another big thank you. The Polebridge Mercantile donated treats for sale and auction as well and Joyce Hassard Baltz at the Glacier Institute donated gifts and a gift certificate for auction. Thank you to all of the workers, bakers and donors to the event, and especially thanks to all the folks who came to see the movies, buy the pies and support the trail.

Movie Night was so successful that we had to turn folks away as we exceeded the space available in the Terrace Room of the Belton Chalet. We know there’s still a desire for viewing the two featured films, so we’re planning a second event in April in Whitefish. Stay tuned for details. Watch this newspaper, the Gateway to Glacier Trail Web site or Facebook page for details on date, time and venue.

As you may know, the Gateway to Glacier Trail was recently awarded Flathead County’s CTEP funding (Community Transportation Enhancement Program) of $840,000 to construct the trail, locally known as the Jim Dupont Memorial Trail. With this funding, the organization needs to provide “matches” of locally-raised money.

We need to raise a total of $180,000 to make the trail a reality. Thanks to continuous community support, we’ve already raised $65,000, but we need to raise an additional $115,000. These funds will be used for both construction and maintenance, as required by the CTEP program. Our goal is to raise this money within one year so that the construction can begin. Events like Soup Supper and Movie Night were successful, but we have a lot more work to do.

In addition to planning a second Movie Night in Whitefish in April, we’ll publish a newsletter in May and provide details on additional fundraisers. On July 13, we’ll host the third annual Brewfest Pints-for-Paths on the lawn of Heaven’s Peak Restaurant on U.S. 2 in West Glacier. Look for a “poker-run” bike ride just prior to Brewfest. We’re also working with business partners in Leadership Flathead to bring you a charity bike ride later in the summer. And we’re working on a second-annual “Wine, Cheese & Chocolate, Please” event at Heaven’s Peak.

Visit our Web site at www.gatewaytoglaciertrail.com or our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/gatewaytoglaciertrail to learn how you can help with these fundraising events, how you can create your own fundraiser for the trail, or how you can join the fun as the event dates come around.

We welcome ideas from the community and business leaders for additional fundraising events. Together we can make this trail happen. It’ll be the best recreational addition to Flathead County in recent years, and it’ll be free and available to everyone. It’ll be enjoyed by local residents and visitors alike — and we’ll get the satisfaction of knowing we pulled together to make this happen.

Biddy Simet is a member of the Gateway to Glacier Trail organization.