Yellowstone Club members purchase thousands of dollars in local gift cards for club employees working on Christmas Day
By Jack Reaney ASSOCIATE EDITOR
For each of the past seven or eight years, a group of Yellowstone Club members has raised thousands of dollars to purchase gift cards from about 50 Big Sky businesses, and distribute them to club employees working on Christmas Day. It’s an effort they call the “gift toss.”
This past December, the group of more than 100 YC families raised roughly $70,000, purchasing about 675 gift cards of $100 value from Big Sky eateries, bars, retail shops and grocery stores. The club provides employee rosters to make sure nobody is missed.
“We always collect a little extra, because we never know exactly how many gift cards we’re going to need,” said Melissa McKeithen, a Big Sky resident and YC member. For the past three years, the group has donated any excess cash to the Big Sky Community Food Bank. This January, the food bank received a $5,000 check—no application, no conditions, just cash to support a vital and high-demand service.
“It is so wonderful to have this surprise donation,” Sarah Gaither Bivins, food bank operations manager, wrote in an email to EBS. “In a tight funding schedule, it is great to have the added support when we’re not expecting it. Our customer services remain at an all-time high this winter season—up about 30% from last winter—and we’re enormously grateful for new funders and income sources. We are in awe of the many creative ways that Big Sky residents help us meet our goal to provide free emergency food and social services to the community. Thank you to everyone involved!”
McKeithen has helped organize the event for the past few years, but fellow members Joanie Hall and Debbie Bagby founded the tradition seven or eight years ago—they originally gave out Flylow gloves to lifties. Over the years, gift cards have increased steadily from $35 to $100 each. McKeithen and Hall hope to see club member participation continue to grow, allowing the group to give more back to employees and the local economy.
“We really appreciate the fact that people are giving up their Christmas Day,” McKeithen said. Hall and McKeithen emphasize the importance of supporting employees and local businesses.
Although the tradition is called a “gift toss,” there’s no tossing involved. On Christmas, participating members split up and visit different employee hubs, handing out hundreds of gift cards and saying “thank you” in-person. Hall said that’s the best part.
“And for a lot of families it’s become a Christmas tradition… Shaking hands, giving hugs and giving out gift cards,” she said. She hopes to see similar ideas take hold at Big Sky’s other private clubs and community groups, even other towns far beyond.
Bringing new faces in the door
Pam Flach, owner of BYWOM, said it’s a great start to the winter season to sell 15 gift cards worth $100 each.
“It’s nice to be supported that way,” Flach said. “It’s fun to see people that come in to use [gift cards], ‘cause I don’t think they normally would come in… It kind of introduces them to BYWOM as well.”
Next door at Milkies Pizza & Pub, owner Wendy Burton also sees the importance of introducing hardworking employees to new local businesses.
“They get to know who we are—and we are a community place, this is where locals usually come and hang out,” Burton said. “A lot of them group together and come in, play pool or whatever, get some drinks and have a good time.”
Country Market owner Lynne Anderson appreciates the business, but she appreciates even more the people it brings into her local grocery store. Anderson helped start the food bank years ago for the same reason: to look out for local workers.
Through this program, Anderson doubts there’s ever been an unused Country Market gift card. It’s clear the employees appreciate it, she said.
Kelsey Rice, manager at Gallatin Alpine Sports, said the program is helpful because it brings employees into the Westfork Meadows area—many YC employees might otherwise commute straight through Ousel Falls Road and rarely venture off the beaten path into one of Big Sky’s old-school commercial areas.
“It’s great to keep the money locally,” Rice said. “We’re one of just a few local [ski industry] businesses left… one of two left down in the meadow, it’s just us and East Slope Outdoors. It’s huge that they choose us as a business to support.”
At Wrap Shack, owner Alison Adams appreciated the $1,500 boost at the end of last fiscal year.
“It’s really awesome that it’s always a couple days before Christmas… It kind of always just makes a difference to our bottom line,” Adams said.
With a business model being somewhat unique for Big Sky, she said, it’s great to see new faces and get them educated about the shack experience. Many of the card holders bring a friend to help burn through the $100, and some become regular customers, she said.
“I think it’s really awesome for them to do for their employees who are working on Christmas Day, to show their appreciation. But also to show their appreciation to those of us who are working hard in this community,” Adams said. Organizers could just as easily purchase the gift cards from retail chains or other non-local business, she pointed out.
But the local business support is no accident. Hall said her favorite part of the tradition is visiting Big Sky’s businesses to pick up gift cards and interacting with their managers and owners.
