GREAT FALLS — For more than 20 years, Great Falls resident Bill Hunter has quietly worked to maintain one of the city’s most recognizable traditions: the iconic GF hillside sign on the northwest side of Great Falls.
Now 84, Hunter still makes the climb each year to repaint the massive letters, install lights, and keep the landmark shining over the city.
This holiday season, the sign is glowing brighter thanks to a new upgrade. Hunter installed C9 LED bulbs, a higher-intensity light that gives the display a fresh pop of brightness. “It’s amazing how many different types of LED lights there are,” Hunter said. “These ones are extra bright.”
Each refresh is a major undertaking. The sign stands about 130 feet tall and 105 feet wide, and repainting it can require more than 135 gallons of paint. Over the years, Hunter has cleaned, repainted, and repaired the hillside, often with help from friends or volunteers.
In recent years, members of the Great Falls pickleball community have joined the effort. Volunteers help paint, maintain the hillside, and install lights, with Hunter stepping back slightly and letting others take more of the lead.
“I’m more of the helper now,” he said. “They’re doing a fantastic job.”
The project has faced challenges, including repeated vandalism. Last year, Hunter and volunteers found the wires cut “every other day,” requiring constant repairs. Still, the group returned again and again to keep the sign lit.
Paint stores have donated supplies, and nearby homeowners have helped power the display by allowing volunteers to plug the lights into their homes. The LEDs use minimal electricity, reducing the cost for those who chip in.
For Hunter, the work is a long-standing gift to the community, one he’s proud to continue as long as he can. And with brighter bulbs and a growing group of volunteers, he says the “GF” sign is ready to shine over Great Falls for many holiday seasons to come.
