Great Fish Fun Run set for Saturday

Whitefish Community Foundation and the 78 Flathead Valley nonprofits raising funds in this year’s Great Fish Community Challenge invite the public to a celebration of giving locally this Saturday, Sept. 9. The Great Fish Fun Run & Community Celebration is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Whitefish’s Depot Park.

This family-friendly event features 5K and 1-mile races, lunch from Piggyback BBQ, a nonprofit fair, incentive grants, prizes and more. The top three male and female finishers in the 5K and 5K Para Athlete divisions will recommend an incentive grant for the participating organization of their choice. Advanced registration is required at runsignup.com/great-fish-fun-run. No day-of registration is available.

Those interested in signing up for the 5K or 1-mile race can also register in person at Bonsai Brewing Project on Thursday, Sept. 7 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. or at The Wave Aquatic & Fitness Center on Friday, Sept. 8 from 2 to 6:30 p.m. There is no fee for children ages 12 and under to participate in the Fun Run. The fee for all other participants is $20 per person, regardless of age or division.

The Great Fish Community Challenge is a charitable giving campaign hosted by Whitefish Community Foundation to help local nonprofit organizations raise funds for their programs and projects. Donors can choose to give to multiple organizations with one transaction. Donations can be made online, by check or cash accompanied by the official donation form, or through a gift of stock or distribution from an IRA. The Challenge ends at 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15.

At the conclusion of the campaign, Whitefish Community Foundation will award a percentage match on the first $20,000 raised by each participating organization. The match is made possible by Whitefish Community Foundation’s Circle of Giving donors, as well as donors who designate their gift to the Great Fish Match Fund. Last year’s match exceeded $800,000, allowing for a matching grant of $11,800 for each nonprofit that raised at least $20,000 in the Challenge.

Since 2015, the Great Fish Community Challenge has raised over $22 million for more than 85 local nonprofit organizations. In addition to the percentage match, Whitefish Community Foundation awards thousands of dollars in incentive grants throughout the campaign.

For more information about the Great Fish Community Challenge or to make a donation, visit whitefishcommunityfoundation.org/great-fish/ or call (406) 863-1781.