Community briefs for Jan. 9

Great Fish meeting

Whitefish Community Foundation will hold an informational meeting about the 2019 Great Fish Community Challenge on Tuesday, Jan. 15 at 8:30 a.m. at Grouse Mountain Lodge in the Glacier Room.

The meeting will cover what is new for the fifth annual Challenge and is open to all organizations that have participated in past campaigns and it is mandatory for organizations looking to participate in the campaign for the first time.

Nonprofits will also have the opportunity to hear from Alan Myers-Davis from Whitefish Legacy Partners, Lori Heatherington from the Humane Society of NW Montana, and Deidre Corson from North Valley Music School, who will share their strategies for how each of these organizations successfully raised over $90,000 during the campaign.

There is no charge to attend. Registration is required for each participant. Visit whitefishcommunityfoundation.org or call 406-863-1781 to register.

Book discussion

The Whitefish Community Library book group monthly meeting will be on Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. in the community room. This month’s book is “Deliverance Mary Fields” by Manatee Metcalf McConnell. This is a Montana history story that tells about the First African American Star Route Mail Carrier in the United States, Mary Fields, and her amazing life.

Bag sale

The Soroptimist Thrift Haus, 303 First St. in Whitefish, will hold its winter bag sale from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12. Fill a plastic grocery bag for $5.

All proceeds will be donated to area nonprofit organizations with a focus on Soroptimist International’s mission, to improve the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world. Soroptimist International of Whitefish operates the Thrift Haus with an all-volunteer staff.

Judges needed for speech tournament

Whitefish High School is hosting the 2019 Western Class A Divisional Tournament on Saturday, Jan. 19 and is need of volunteers to judge speech, debate and drama events. The tournament acts as the qualifiers for the 2019 state tournament, so there will only be Class A students from the western side of the state participating. For questions, contact WHS Speech and Debate Head Coach Sara Mueller at 862-8650, ext. 355 or to sign up visit, https://goo.gl/forms/xB3CKMlFWDCtZZwq2.

Blood drive

The American Red Cross will host the first 2019 Whitefish Community Blood Drive on Thursday, Jan. 17 at The Wave,1250 Baker Avenue, from 11 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Blood donations decline at this time of year due to busy holiday schedules and severe weather conditions around the country. But the need for blood never stops. The entire donation process takes about an hour, which includes check-in, a brief health review, actually drawing the blood and snack time. Appointments are recommended and a blood donor card or a driver license is required at check-in. To schedule an appointment, please call Jean at 406-862-4332 or go online to www.redcrossblood.org and search for blood drives in the 59937 area. Walk-in donors are welcome; however, there may be a short wait. It is suggested that you eat a hardy meal and drink plenty of water prior to giving blood. Snacks, water and juices will be provided at the blood drive.

King celebration

The Crown of the Continent Choir invites the public to One Voice — a celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — on Monday, Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. at the Gateway Community Center, 1203 Highway 2 West in Kalispell. The program will feature speakers from the multi-faith community and Flathead High School students, with music by the choir. For more information, visit www.crownchoir.org.

Audubon program

John Ashley will present Flathead Audubon’s evening program, Prairie Bandits: The Story of Montana’s Black-footed Ferrets on Monday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. at the Gateway West Community Room in Kalispell.

Black-footed ferrets are Montana’s rarest native mammal. Ashley will begin the program with a historical review of Black-footed Ferrets in North America, focusing on ferrets in Montana. After providing a summary of ferret biology and ecology, Ashley will share some of his experiences as a volunteer working with ferret biologists and photographing this endangered and enigmatic species over the past few years on the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge. John will conclude his slide and video presentation with an overview of the conservation struggles and challenges facing the survival of Black-footed Ferrets in the prairie dog towns across the Great Plains.

Ashley is a wildlife biologist, author, and photographer who lives with his wife and business partner, Tracy, and their dogs at the end of the road just past Kila in northwestern Montana. The program is free and open to the public.

For more information, visit the Flathead Audubon website: www.flatheadaudubon.org.

Women’s Connection

Columbia Falls Women’s Connection will have a luncheon on Wednesday, Jan. 16 at 11:30 a.m. at the North Valley Hospital Community Room in Columbia Falls. Guest speakers will be Cindy Ritter owner of Bad Rock Books and Wendy Maechtle a cancer warrior who will share her journey. Donations of prepackaged snacks and juice boxes will be accepted for the Backpack Snack Program helping the needy children in our community. Cost is $8 and all women are welcome to attend. For reservations call Candy at 387-4119 or Janet at 892-3621 by 5 p.m. Monday, Jan.14. Affiliated with Stonecroft Ministries.

FVCC classes

Flathead Valley Community College’s Continuing Education Center is now accepting registrations for its winter and spring lineup of non-credit classes and workshops. The complete schedule is available on FVCC’s website at www.fvcc.edu/continuing-education.

In addition to community favorites, the Center is offering new classes in creative arts, workplace communication, outdoor recreation, language, small business management and other subjects. Duration of classes ranges from one to multiple sessions, and fees vary accordingly. All classes are taught by local and regional experts on the featured topics. Many classes begin in January, and space is limited.

FVCC’s Continuing Education Center also offers customized training for businesses, industry certifications, computer workshops, online classes, conference support and other services.

To view the complete schedule, register for classes or obtain more information, visit www.fvcc.edu/continuing-education or contact the Center at 756-3832 or ceinfo@fvcc.edu for assistance.