The board of directors for the Celebrate Great Falls Foundation presented the Friends of the Great Falls Library with a check for $400.
Celebrate Great Falls Reveals Holiday Contest Winners
“Our mission is to do anything that celebrates spirit in our community.”
— Erin Lobato, Director, Celebrate Great Falls Foundation
There’s nothing that brings a community together like a bit of friendly competition — at least that’s the idea behind the Celebrate Great Falls Foundation’s annual Holiday Decorating Contest.
The foundation presented awards to both the Friends of the Great Falls Library and The Falls Salon on Thursday, Jan. 23, for their holiday spirit displayed in their storefronts and buildings. The two winners were chosen by a community vote that found them both equally deserving of the cash prize of $400.
The library’s decorations consisted of building-wide wreaths and lights, as well as a centerpiece at the front of the library made out of stacked books covered in lights and surrounded by sitting elves. The Falls Salon, meanwhile, decorated its storefront with a display of hanging lights, wreaths and red ribbons.
Though the Foundation split the award into two checks for $200 in their presentation at the Great Falls Library, in a testament to community spirit, Rick Wagstaff and Mark Bursick, owners of The Falls Salon, donated their half of the award to the library.
Michelle Miller, president of the Friends of the Great Falls Library, and branch manager Daniela Dixon accepted the check from the board of directors in a short ceremony. Miller noted that the competition level increased this year as compared to Winter of 2012, something she said is a sign that the community has “competitive spirit.”
“I already have some ideas for next year,” revealed Miller with a smile after accepting the check.
Erin Lobato, director of the Celebrate Great Falls Foundation, said that the goal of her organization is to “do anything that celebrates spirit in our community.”
The nonprofit formed out of the Great Falls Charitable Foundation, a community group more than 20 years old that organizes annual events such as the Fourth of July Celebration, the golf tournament at Hidden Creek Country Club, and the holiday Celebration of Lights.
The foundation’s board of directors all attended the presentation of the check and accompanying certificates to the winners. Though the contest it is only a few years old, Lobato hopes that more local businesses and organizations will follow the competitive trend next year by elaborately decorating their buildings and entering the contest.
The Celebrate Great Falls Foundation’s next event will be a Winter Wine Tasting on Saturday, Feb. 22, at the River Bend Country Club. For more information go to www.celebrategreatfalls.org.