Hope & the Holidays is not a new organization, but an adaptation of an old one. Toys for Tots had been around the Bozeman area for approximately 18 years, organized and managed by Bob Metcalf of the Marine Corps and Michelle Reiser, a realtor most recently with Prudential. The Bozeman Lions Club stepped in to help, and when Bob wanted to retire and Michelle became ill, something different had to happen. Hope & the Holidays was formed as a partnership of the Marine Corps League, the American Legion, area Lions clubs and area Kiwanis clubs and what a successful partnership it has been. Hope & the Holidays is dedicated to helping families during times of need, especially during the holiday season. Hope & the Holidays is a 501 (c) 3 organization governed by an 11-member volunteer board, this means that all donations are tax-deductible.

Hope & the Holidays provide Christmas for families in need in 6 counties: Broadwater, Gallatin, Jefferson, Madison, Park, and Sweetgrass. Starting right after Thanksgiving and during the month of December, toy boxes are set out and the community is asked to donate new, unwrapped toys to be given to children in need. Hope & the Holidays provide gifts for children, infant through 18 years of age.

In December of 2012 Hope & the Holidays helped provide Christmas for 1,497 children and provided food baskets for 347 families. This is a community effort reliant on donations and volunteers. In December of 2012, 72 hours and 4 minutes of just one volunteer’s time was spent answering phone calls for Santa’s Hotline. In addition, approximately 80-90 people volunteered mega-hours picking up toys, delivery, shopping, and helping distribute the toys over an 8-day period. Historically, Hope & the Holidays has received many gifts for younger children,   but many families have older children, and the majority of those gifts need to be purchased so fundraising is also necessary to meet the communities’ needs.

Hope & the Holidays’ biggest fundraiser of the year is the golf scramble. This is a fun event for both men and women and many teams keep come back annually. The third annual Hope & the Holidays Golf Scramble will be held at Bridger Creek Golf Course in Bozeman on September 6. Sponsorships are still available as well as space for golfers. The sponsorships are as follows:

Santa & Sleigh      $750 (1 hole sponsorship, 4 entry player fees, 2 golf carts & lunch)
Santa Sponsorship $500 (1 hole sponsorship)
Rudolph Sponsor $250 (hole co-sponsorship)
Lunch Sponsorship (provide golfer lunch with company sign at lunch)
Prize Donors (provide prizes of your choice for drawings or hole challenges)

Player fees are $75 each or $300 for a team of four and includes 18 holes of golf, a golf cart and lunch. Businesses can also sponsor a team. Anyone wanting to participate in the Hope & the Holidays golf scramble through sponsorship or golfing can call Carla Marinko at 556-4165 or leave a message on the Hope & the Holidays hotline number of 406-451-5102.

Another fundraiser is the Hope & the Holidays potato sale which is held in October. For the past 2 years Bill and Barb Cole of Manhattan have provided the potatoes, call 406-451-5102 for more information.
Hope & the Holidays has received so much support from businesses and people in all the counties they assist; from donating toys and time to donating a location each December and providing the electricity and heat for that location. Thanks go out to each and every volunteer and more are always welcome.

Most of the Hope & the Holidays volunteers are needed in the month of December to assist with the many details contributing to the toy and food distribution. Hope & the Holidays does not start taking names for the distribution until after Thanksgiving and that is done by contacting the Hope & the Holidays Hotline at 451-5102. Also, please check their facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Hope-the-Holidays/ and “LIKE” them so you can keep up-to-date with the latest from Hope & the Holidays and to see pictures from past events.

Sandy Feeney is the Bozeman Lions Sight & Hearing Chairman, and head volunteer for Hope & the Holidays.