To the Big Sky community,
On July 28, the Gallatin River Task Force hosted our 12th annual Hooked on the Gallatin, the summer celebration of the Gallatin River, and our opportunity to convene community supporters, give project updates, and share successes for the preservation and restoration work for the river, inviting people to give back to the community resource that they love.
As in past years, the event brought together an impressive crowd of community supporters, lovers of the Gallatin, anglers, businesses, out of town guests, and forever friends of the organization and our work to protect and conserve the river. It was an evening that returned the fundraiser to the banks of the Gallatin, hosted at the Riverhouse and offering some of the best up close and personal views of the river we have.
We included a powerful all-women panel that allowed us to take a deeper dive into what kind of work is most relevant to the Gallatin’s future health, how we continue to use science, data, and visuals to address challenges, identify solutions and bring about real change, and how partnerships are key to all of it.
We enjoyed the company of friends and advocates, sharing our work and our dedication to the projects that protect our watershed, and emphasized the critical nature of community collaboration. We shared how our vision for a healthy Gallatin is not realized without all of us working in sync, together.
The Task Force has this one opportunity each year to put the Gallatin at center stage, and while fundraising is a fundamental piece, so is showcasing our work, our team, our advocates and stewards, and our community partners who all make the work possible.
At the end of the night, we raised critical funding for our projects and initiatives, and were reminded that in all that we do, we know that every dollar counts, and every way in which we envision a healthier Gallatin doesn’t happen without the perfect balance of community engagement and community investment. Our gratitude is running deep on the heels of this event, and we are humbled knowing that our projects are now supported by more than $220,000 that was raised as a result of this event.
While we reflect on this year’s celebration, we look ahead to the work for the Gallatin, and extend gratitude and ongoing hope, knowing that this community has once again stepped up to help us continue our work for the river.
With gratitude,
The Gallatin River Task Force
