Board Chair, Ken Wessels, presents the Doris Schumm Community Spirit Award to Mark Galbraith with Flathead Rapids Youth Soccer.
Doris Schumm Community Spirit Award
In November of 2009, the Whitefish community lost a beloved community member and dear friend to so many, Doris Schumm. Dorie was a great friend to nonprofit organizations in Whitefish and an avid volunteer. She donated countless hours and support to the Whitefish Library, Whitefish Theatre Company, North Valley Food Bank, and the Whitefish Community Foundation, where she served on the Board of Directors and the Grants Committee. In 2010, the Community Foundation was honored to receive a bequest from Dorie who had the foresight to set up a charitable remainder trust to benefit the Foundation even before it existed. She was ahead of her time and had always felt that Whitefish should have a Community Foundation.
To recognize Dorie and the wonderful community spirit she embraced, the Foundation established the Doris Schumm Community Spirit Award in 2010. Each year, the Grants Committee selects the organization that will receive this award from the organizations that are involved with the Foundation and embody the community spirit Dorie valued in her own life. This special honor comes with a $2,500 grant.
Flathead Rapids Youth Soccer was presented with this award for 2018 because of their enthusiastic participation in the 2018 Great Fish Community Challenge. They were helpful with all Great Fish Community Challenge events and went above and beyond to lend a hand. The Flathead Rapids are a great example of how a small organization can further their success in the campaign with ample enthusiasm and hard work.
Russ and Mary Jane Street Community Service Award
WCF Board Chair, Ken Wessels, presents the Russ and Mary Jane Street Community Service Award to Alan Satterlee, Executive Director of North Valley Hospital Foundation.
Russ and Mary Jane Street were early settlers to Whitefish, and helped grow our town into the wonderful community it is today. Together they opened Streets Grocery in 1947. In the 1950’s, they started Alpine Spice, and in the 60’s they developed Bay Point Cabins and Resort. They were on the original Board of Directors charged with managing Big Mountain Resort and were both part of the original dirty dozen who started the Whitefish Winter Carnival. Additionally, Russ was a volunteer firefighter from 1950 through 1970. Russ passed away in 1995 and Mary Jane in 2012.In 2002, Mary Jane Street set up a charitable remainder trust and selected Whitefish Community Foundation as the beneficiary. Mike Jenson, one of the original founders of the Community Foundation and the nephew of Mary Jane said, “Russ and Mary Jane’s early pride in Whitefish and their efforts to help build our community will continue with this bequest. I believe they would be happy knowing they will continue to be a part of that effort through the Whitefish Community Foundation.” In 2014, the Board of Directors for the Whitefish Community Foundation established the Russ and Mary Jane Street Community Service Award. Each year, this special award, which comes with a $2,500 grant, will recognize the important work the selected organization provides to the community and that honors the spirit of the Street’s support of our community.
The 2018 Russ and Mary Jane Street Award was presented to the North Valley Hospital Foundation for their community-minded projects and efforts to cross-pollinate during the Great Fish Community Challenge. The hospital hosted nonprofit booths as a means of helping all Great Fish Community Challenge nonprofits to gain extra face time with our community.
Jean Howard Memorial Award
Steve Howard, in honor of his mother, presents the Jean Howard Memorial Award to Marcie Jackson and Cora Arnold with Flathead Cancer Aid Services.
On June 6, 2016, Jean Howard of Coto de Caza, California passed away after a long battle with ovarian cancer. Jean and her husband Bill had been part-year residents of Whitefish since 1993. Bill was on the Whitefish Community Foundation Advisory Council and today is Emeritus to the Foundation.
Although Whitefish was Jean’s second home, the Whitefish Community Foundation and the community of Whitefish always came first. Jean cherished the first rate performing arts in Whitefish and the wonderful sense of community. Each year, Jean supported various causes including the Whitefish Theatre Company, Alpine Theater Project, Glacier Symphony and Chorale, Whitefish Legacy Partners, North Valley Food Bank, and Shepherd’s Hand Free Clinic. Jean loved to attend Community Foundation events and was an avid supporter of the Foundation’s mission. She and Bill were early supporters of the Foundation’s Circle of Giving and very instrumental in the success of the Whitefish Duck Derby that raised thousands of dollars for the Foundation’s grant programs from 2009 to 2014.
To honor Jean’s legacy of philanthropy, family and friends donated to the Foundation in her memory. This allowed the Foundation to establish the Jean Howard Memorial Award. Each year the Foundation will make a special grant to an organization that will honor Jean’s memory and her philanthropic heart.
This 2018 Jean Howard Memorial Award was increased to $5,000 by the Howard family and presented to Flathead Cancer Aid Services. The family selects the recipient each year. After looking through many potential recipients, the family chose Flathead Cancer Aid Services due to their boots-on-the-ground approach to helping those going through cancer treatment. Their work spoke to the family and their experiences and they were deeply moved by the mission. Congratulations to Flathead Cancer Aid Services!
Biggest Catch Award
WCF Board Chair, Ken Wessels present the Biggest Catch Award to Mike Jopek, Presiden of the Whitefish Legacy Partners Board.
The Biggest Catch Award went to the organization that received the greatest number of donations. Whitefish Legacy Partners received over 200 donations during the campaign! Congratulations to Whitefish Legacy Partners for receiving the Biggest Catch Award, along with a $2500 grant.
Corporate Citizenship Award
WCF Board Chair, Ken Wessels, presents the Corpoate Citizenship Award to Henry Roberts with the ZaneRay Group.
The idea behind the Corporate Citizenship Award is to get more businesses involved with encouraging employee giving through the Challenge. The ZaneRay Group matched their employees’ gifts dollar for dollar every time an employee donated and also helped us through a few website hiccups! The ZaneRay employee matching program sets a wonderful example of how corporations can support their communities and incentivize their employees to make a difference for all of us. Congratulations to Flathead Cancer Aid Services, who was selected to receive ZaneRay’s $2,500 Designated Grant!
Exceptional Volunteer Award
WCF Board Chair, Ken Wessels, presents Don Bestwick with the Exceptional Volunteer Award.
Nonprofits rely on volunteers–they are at the core of everything we do. Nonprofit Boards are comprised of volunteers and our campaign requires many hours of volunteer help for outreach, Color Run organization and Community Celebration. We had many wonderful volunteers help organize the 2018 Color Run and Community Celebration and could not have done it without them.
Don Bestwick was chosen as the recipient for this year’s Exceptional Volunteer Award. Don has been chairing the color booths committee since the Color Run began. Don has proven to be a reliable and consistent helping hand for our community and for the Whitefish Community Foundation. He has been on the Board for Project Whitefish Kids since its inception, has been a longtime volunteer and current board member of the North Valley food Bank, volunteers with Shepherd’s Hand Free Clinic, and received the Spirit of Whitefish Award from Whitefish Rotary in 2015. Congratulations to Don Bestwick for winning the Exceptional Volunteer Award. In honor of this award, the Community Foundation is awarding a designated grant to the charity of Don’s choice. Don is directing his Designated Grant of $2,500 to the Abbie Shelter.