The Great Falls Ski Patrol is preparing for its biggest fundraiser of the year as the Banff Mountain Film Festival returns to Great Falls on January 9, 2026.
For the 40 to 50 volunteer patrollers who provide medical and rescue response at Showdown, the event remains essential to supporting their training, equipment, and readiness.
Justin Grohs, with the Great Falls Ski Patrol, explained the patrol’s role and the need behind the fundraiser, saying, “We’re a volunteer organization…to help with medical and rescue response to the skiing and boarding public at Showdown.”
But even as volunteers, they still face ongoing expenses. “We do have quite a lot of expenses as far as maintaining our training and our readiness - medical supplies, toboggans, so forth and so on.”
The Banff Mountain Film Festival has been the patrol’s annual fundraiser for decades, dating back to some of the earliest patrollers who established the relationship with the international film tour.
“It’s just what we have always done,” Grohs said. “Some of the earlier patrollers… had the foresight to develop this relationship with the Banff Mountain Film Festival up in Canada.”
Grohs said the patrol recently received this year’s film packages and has already begun previewing them. “We’re super excited for this year’s show. There’s some amazing, great, exciting adventure films… that I think are going to be amazing to folks that come to watch it.”
The fundraiser typically raises between twelve and fourteen thousand dollars, a combination of $20 ticket sales and community sponsorships. Sponsorship levels range from $100 to $1,000, with major contributors including Showdown, T.H. Wireless, Smith & Rogue, and Bighorn Outdoor Specialists.
Raffles have become another big draw at the event. Every attendee is automatically entered into a general raffle with items donated by Banff and local supporters. A second raffle features larger prizes that require a purchased ticket.
“That raffle includes some big items,” Grohs said, listing ski-and-stay packages from the Edith Hotel in White Sulphur Springs, a package from Cougar Canyon Lodge, and two season passes donated by Bob’s Bar at Showdown.
Those who buy their film festival tickets at Bighorn Outdoor Specialists are also entered into a separate raffle for outdoor gear provided by the store.
This year’s screening will take place January 9th at 6 p.m. at the Great Falls High School Davidson Auditorium.
Tickets are available online by clicking here, and at Bighorn Outdoor Specialists (206 Fifth Street South).
