Local Democrats announce Pam Hillery Spring Dinner

Press release

The Hill County Democratic Central Committee announced it changed the name of its annual spring dinner to the Pam Hillery Spring Dinner in honor of the longtime local Democratic activist and former vice chair of the party.

This year’s dinner is scheduled for Saturday, April 29, at 6 p.m. at the Eagles Club, located at 202 First Street in downtown Havre.

“It was important for us to recognize and honor the indelible mark Pam Hillery made on Havre and Montana, which included a deep commitment to progressive policies, public service and always making one’s community better through personal involvement,” said Brenda Skornogoski, chair of the Hill County Democratic Central Committee.

Hillery died of ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, in September 2016, following a diagnosis three years earlier.

Hillery served for nine years on the Havre City Council, as well as on the boards of Havre Elementary PTO, St. Jude Thaddeus Church, Hi-Line/Northern Showcase Concert Association, Havre-Hill County Crimestoppers, and the Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line. She worked for a decade for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and was tutor coordinator for Montana State Univesity-Northern before retiring due to her illness.

“Anyone who knew Pam immediately felt her deep passion for anything in which she was involved, including politics and government, for which she believed was a noble and necessary calling to help others, especially those who were less fortunate, or needed a voice in what can sometimes be a complex and unbending system,” Skornogoski said.

Also featured at this year’s dinner will be a new play about Montana’s Jeanette Rankin, the first woman to serve in Congress. The play was written and produced by Martin Holt and will feature Pam Veis as Rankin. Both Holt and Veis are Havre residents.

Tickets can be purchased at the door and are $35 per person, or $20 for students with an ID. The event is open to the public. For more information about the dinner, people can call Skornogoski at 399-7380.