We Gave Big!  Give Big Gallatin Valley

Wow. Just wow. In 24 hours the Bozeman community raised $678,000 for 168 organizations. Talk about feeling proud to be a part of such an amazing community!! This is the third year of Give Big Gallatin Valley, and give big the Gallatin Valley did!! We knew as soon as we heard about this event, that we wanted to be involved somehow. We decided the best way was for each team member to pick the organization of their choice to donate to. That way each person could pick something that meant something to them. It got personal. Only a few people picked the same nonprofit and it was such fun to learn more about some that are a little less known. Our office then matched each donation! In total we donated $3,310 to 12 different organizations! That's pretty awesome for a small busines and we are all so proud to have been a part of this. Because we are all still in the feel good moods from this event, we thought we'd share which organizations everyone chose and why. They're just too good not to share.

Carrie Seyfert, The Bozeman 3

Carrie chose The Bozeman 3 for her Give Big donation! Carrie has grandchildren in Bozeman who have benefited from local resources making it important to her to give back to other children in the community. Because of that and as a cancer survivor, she is drawn to The Bozeman 3 and what they do for families affected by cancer in our community. This is so awesome!

Tyler Wilkinson, Cancer Support Community

It was easy for Tyler to decide which organization to choose for Give Big Gallatin Valley this year. This year he lost his grandmother to cancer and he has been watching his father-in-law fight his battle with cancer. He has seen first hand how devasting cancer is for so many in the community. During Give Big he ran in the 24-hour Challenge at the Bozeman Running Company to raise funds for the Cancer Support Community. Our team was excited for him and made a donation to Tyler to help him reach his goal of $1,000, which he surpassed!

Dave Everett, Special Olympics Montana

As a proud father of a special needs child it was easy for Dave to pick an organization for Give Big.Special Olympics Montana is a cause that is close to his whole family and they actively participate and volunteer with Special Olympics. He is quite a guy!!

Jim Applebee, Southwest Montana Mountain Bike Association

Jim is an avid mountain biker so picking Southwest Montana Mountain Bike Association as his choice for Give Big was easy. SWMMBA is an all-volunteer organization that is raising money to build 30-miles of brand new multi-use trails at Copper City. Jim feels strongly about the use of public lands and this is a productive use of funds so people like himself and his family can get out and enjoy the trails. Jim gave big with a donation to help build the trail at Copper City!

Aaron Balian, Royal Family Kids Camp

Both Aaron and his wife have been counselors for the Royal Family Kids Camp so they have seen firsthand the benefits it brings to children. His wife’s family has run one of the Royal Kids Camps in Seattle for many years, so they were excited to see the Montana camp on the Give Big Gallatin Valley list to make a donation. Such a wonderful organization!

Doug Truex, Gallatin Ice Foundation

Doug chose the Gallatin Ice Foundation to Give Big. Hockey has been a big part of Doug’s life as well as for his son and daughter. They have used the current facilities for many years and Doug was eager to give a donation to the Gallatin Ice Foundation to support the growth of ice programs for youth and adult in our community. Knowing the impact that hockey has had on his own family, Doug hopes to watch it continue to grow in Bozeman so other families can enjoy the same.

Angie Jamison, Gallatin Valley Farm to Schools

As the mother of two growing girls, Angie sees firsthand what an impact healthy food has on kids. This is why choosing Gallatin Valley Farm to School was the top choice for her family to Give Big. Teaching kids from an early age the value of healthy eating, knowing where your food comes from and how important it is to eat locally will set them up for a strong future. Angie has had the opportunity first hand to see what Gallatin Valley Farm to Schools does for Bozeman kids when volunteering on class field trips they put on and hope they can continue to grow in our community.

Nancy Stevenson, Warriors and Quiet Waters and Family Promise

Nancy had a hard time deciding which organization to Give Big to so she picked two!! (Gotta love her generous heart!) First was Warriors and Quiet Waters Foundation. Nancy is a strong supporter of our veterans and knows this is the least we can do to thank them for all they do for us and protecting our freedom. Warriors and Quiet Waters is an amazing organization that brings positive change inthe lives of veterans. Nancy also chose to make a donation to Family Promise of Gallatin Valley. What draws her to this nonprofit is the idea of helping struggling families and getting them back on their feet for a successful future. As a 100% community funded organization, they will be able to use her donation for direct family support.

Kent Simonson, Big Sky Youth Empowerment

Kent had heard a lot about Big Sky Youth Empowerment and the positive impact it has on teenagers in our community. As he learned more about the organization he knew it would be his choice for Give Big and he gave in a big way with a very generous donation!

Krista Davis, The Bozeman 3 and Cancer Support Community

Krista had to chose two nonprofits for Give Big because she just couldn't pick one! She lost her mom to cancer and her dad is a cancer survivor so she knows personally how difficult it is when dealing with this terrible disease. She'll be making her donations to The Bozeman 3 and the Cancer Support Community Montana because of what both of these organizations do to help families in Bozeman going through cancer. She'll be paying it forward by Giving Big!

Steve Spain, Heroes and Horses and Montana Wilderness School

Steve was another who decided to choose 2 organizations to Give Big too! Heroes and Horses, a very cool nonprofit that has a different approach to support our veterans. Steve is a strong supporter of our vets for all they've done for us. He also chose Montana Wilderness School. This one is a big one for him because he understands the value of giving kids an experience they may not otherwise be able to have. Getting them out into the wilderness to foster growth and see the world in a different way. Both such amazing organizations!

Andrew Hurlburt, EVERYTHING!!!

When Andrew first began considering opening his own real estate office, he knew giving back to the community that has supported him had to be a big part of the mission statement. Give Big is the first opportunity for Bozeman Real Estate Group to do just this and Andrew is contributing in a big way by matching each team member’s donation to the cause of their choice. How fantastic is this? Thanks Andrew, for helping us all Give Bigger!!

Can't wait to see how we can GIVE BIG next year!!!