Sunburst Celebrates 20 Years
Summer is over. The fires are mostly out. The geese make that lovely sound as they fly south in their V's. Kids are back in school. But life really isn't slowing down in the Tobacco Valley. We might not be camping as much or spending time at the lake, but there are football games to go to and getting those last loads of wood in. And this September has some very special events as well. Sunburst Community Service Foundation will celebrate its 20th anniversary on September 27th in Riverside Park from 2-4pm. And you are invited! Come by to share cake and ice cream, hear some great local music, and talk with friends and neighbors. Do you remember the first time Sunburst brought in Shakespeare in the Park and we raffled off a basket to raise money (Willene Gunn won the basket)? Or when our concert series took place in the old high school gym? We had to set up folding chairs and take them down for each performance. There were the summers when we organized a ChalkWalk to raise money for our scholarship fund. Remember that wonderful chainsaw sculpture that Al Bontraeger made during one of the Wood Rocks! festivals? Sunburst has packed in a lot over the years and continues growing to serve other communities in western Montana. So stop by on September 27th to reminisce or to meet some of the folks who helped make this nonprofit what it is today.
A big part of what Sunburst does is connected with volunteers. On September 23rd, there will be a a Volunteer Fair in the LCHS lobby from 2-5pm. All kinds of groups from the valley will have booths there to give information on how you can make a difference. Want to help with a concert or cook for the Community Soup Night? Any interest is pitching in at the Animal Shelter or helping the Creative Arts Center be even more creative? Whatever your talents, there is a volunteer position that is ideal for you. Boy Scouts, the Historical Village, the Eureka Montana Quilt Show, church groups, the River Walk - there are so many ways you can add to your community. Regardless of your age or how much time you spend in the Tobacco Valley, you can be part of what makes this town special.
About the Author: Rita Collins. I am a believer in the power of community and for now I call the Tobacco Valley home. I have lived in nine states and three counties and this community here amazes me - how people reach out to neighbors and even travelers. I've never lived in a place that demonstrates people caring for each other so well. And I've never lived in a place that has such a high percentage of talented musicians and artists. I work with the the Sunburst Community Service Foundation, a nonprofit that began in Eureka twenty years ago and now serves numerous communities in western Montana. And I just started a new business, St. Rita's Amazing Traveling Bookstore and Textual Apothecary. I never could have imagined life being this exciting in my sixth decade.
