GREAT FALLS — The Great Falls Community Food Bank and Showdown Montana are teaming up once again for an annual food drive.
On January 7th, you can get a $15 full-day all-area lift ticket at Showdown ski area if you bring 15 cans of non-perishable food or make a $20 donation to the food bank.
If you already have a lift ticket or a season pass, you can donate $20 to be entered into a drawing for a free pass for next season.
“I think this is around the 20th year that Showdown has done this for us,” said Shaun Tatarka, director of the Great Falls Community Food Bank. “It's just a huge fundraiser for us.”
Last year was the largest year in the fundraiser’s history, raising more than $5,000 in addition to 2,000 pounds of food. The fundraiser will follow a $10,000 donation from General Mills to the food bank the previous week.
“General Mills is one of probably maybe I'd say a dozen places that literally will come through for us every single year,” Tatarka said, “And General Mills has given us hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past 30 years.”
Looking ahead to 2024, the food bank’s main concern is the price of groceries, which increased in 2023. They are hoping grocery prices are stagnant or even lower so they can continue to support the city in the least expensive way possible.
“You know, the goal with the food bank is always just to make sure that we have enough food for all of our agencies,” Tatarka said, “Keep our backpack program up to date, which feeds kids K through six on weekends and holidays throughout the school year.”
Even with the increase in costs and the change from a Saturday to a Sunday food drive, the food bank could not ask for a better community to be a part of.
“We're really blessed to live in Great Falls,” Tatarka said, “There's a plethora of nonprofits in Great Falls, and we all struggle, but we all survive as well, and so I think that we're very fortunate to live in an extremely generous community.”
The food drive takes place at Showdown Montana from open to close on Sunday, January 7th.
Showdown is located about 65 miles southeast of Great Falls. Click here to visit the website.
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