By Abbie Digel
A committee met on Wednesday, June
15 to discuss further action in bringing
the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame
and Western Heritage Center (MCHF
& WHC) to the Big Sky Area.
This was the first meeting for the
committee, which is made up of
prominent community members who
are in favor of bringing the hall of
fame to Big Sky. They discussed how
the museum’s presence would better
the interests of both Big Sky and
Montana. Bill Collins, a member of
this group, stressed the importance of
becoming a finalist in the running.
The MCHF and WHC Board of Directors,
made up of representatives from
all over the state, will announce finalists
after approximately 50 candidates
submit requests for proposals. The
future building site will be awarded in
November. The Board wants to choose
the best location that represents the
Montana way of life.
The Big Sky committee has until July
29 to submit their RFP, and in the time
being they will submit a cover letter
and a video to the MCHF and WHC
Board explaining why they think Big
Sky is the best candidate.
At the meeting, the committee discussed
the advantages Big Sky has that
will be presented to the board. First,
the building should be constructed
on Highway 191 because of the
high traffic between Yellowstone,
Bozeman and Gallatin Field Airport.
Also, Big Sky has a strong population
of young equestrians, experienced
cowboys and dude ranches.
Meg O’Leary, Director of Sales and
Marketing at Big Sky Resort, said
Big Sky’s rich history and the Chet
Huntley tie-in is also an advantage.
Big Sky has all of the amenities in
place, as well as a conference center,
and plenty of shopping, dining and
recreation opportunities.
“All the cards are in place for Big
Sky to be a front-runner for the Hall
of Fame,” said Ryan Hamilton.
The committee agreed they’ll need
to be diligent ensuring important
details are presented in front of the
Board, including land space, economy,
transportation, services and
utilities.
If you have input or suggestions,
there is still an opportunity to join
Big Sky’s committee or get involved.
Contact Ryan Hamilton at ryan@
bigskytowncenter.com or Eric Ladd
at eric@theoutlawpartners.com.
montanacowboyfame.com
