As Montana prepares for another year of the Brawl of the Wild football game between the MSU Bobcats and UM Grizzlies, excitement is already building across Great Falls. Several businesses are organizing events that bring fans together while also supporting causes during one of the state’s most anticipated sports weekends.
Many bars in town are planning watch parties for Saturday’s matchup, but at the Heidelberg Bar and Casino, the game day celebration also doubles as a community effort. The Heidelberg is hosting a canned food drive leading up to its watch party, with each can of food brought in equating to one raffle ticket for a prize. Guests who bring in a canned item on Saturday will receive double points toward prize drawings. Staff members say the good-natured competition helps boost donations.
Aneesa Coomer reports - watch the video here:
Lynda Loney, a casino attendant at the Heidelberg, explains, “It’s a great way to have a competition between the Bobcats and the Griz, you know, before the game, seeing which team brings in the most food. That atmosphere, there's tons of people, it's just a really good time. Everybody just wears their favorite team, and it's fun.” The bar is also holding a raffle for a variety of gift basket prizes, with all proceeds going to Eagle Mount.
For fans who prefer to celebrate the rivalry by breaking a sweat, The Peak Health and Wellness Center is hosting a charity cycling ride on Friday morning. While it is the first year the event has been a large community fundraiser, organizers say the idea has been building for a while. According to Group Fitness Director Jacque Albero, “It started between our two instructors, Kolten and Sandra. They have always had a rivalry. Kolten has always been the Bobcats and Sandra has always been the Griz. It was an in-class rivalry that just grew from there.”
Throughout November, both Peak locations have kept donation jars at the front desk where members can vote for their team with a monetary donation. All proceeds from the event support The Sober Life with Alliance for Youth. Albero says the instructors are fully committed to the friendly tension. “The team that has the least amount of votes, that instructor is going to get the pie to the face at the end of the ride this year.”
The charity ride will take place on November 21st from 5am to 7am. For those who cannot make the ride itself, the Peak will also host a donation-based pancake breakfast on Friday from 6am to 11am in the main lobby, with proceeds again supporting The Sober Life. Albero says bringing the event into the peak of Cat-Griz spirit makes it even more meaningful. “It's such a huge event in Montana, and so I just love that that energy's going to be brought here.”
Whether residents plan to join a watch party, participate in a charity event, or cheer from home, Great Falls is embracing the spirit of the Brawl of the Wild in ways that bring the community together.
The Cats-Griz game will air on KRTV on Saturday, November 22; coverage starts at 11 a.m., and kick-off is scheduled for noon.
