First fundraiser set in Historic Post Office

The Hill County Community Foundation is holding its first major fundraising event this year with Spring for the Arts set for April 21.

Foundation Chair Pam Veis said the event is meant to educate people about the foundation’s work and raise money to increase the size of the foundation’s endowment.

The gala at the Havre Historic Post Office will include dinner, live music and auctions.

Veis said the foundation’s endowment provides grants for projects that promote local arts and culture, beautify the community or provide basic human needs.

Recipients for the 2017 grant cycle were the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce to increase the electrical capacity of Town Square; Our Savior Lutheran Church to host beadwork classes; Van Orsdel United Methodist Church to buy supplies for a food pantry and the KNMC 90.1 and the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce to create an online, communitywide events calendar for the Havre and Hill County area.

Veis said 10 applicants qualified for grants but six had to be turned down.

“That was a big motivator for us to say, ‘Hey, we need this annual event so that we can get the word out and grow the endowment, so that we don’t have to turn people down as much, and so we can give out bigger grants as well,’” she said.

Montana State University-Northern Catering will cook and serve an Italian dinner of meat lasagna, fettuccine with alfredo sauce, salad, bread and desserts. Vic’s Place will operate a no-host bar.

Live music will be provided by Marge Holt’s 3rd Avenue Jam.

A dessert auction and a silent auction of works by local artists will be held and people will have the chance to bid on other prizes such as acting or dance lessons and tickets to the Fort Peck Summer Theater.

Local professionals will give live dance demonstrations, she said.

People will also get the chance to take part in a wine pull, where people pay for a local post office box each containing a different bottle of wine. At the end of the night people who buy a box can take the bottle of wine home with them.

Doors will open for the event at 6 p.m, Veis said. Tickets are $45 each, $300 for a table of six or $400 for a table of eight.

People should call Veis at 390-4947 to purchase tickets soon because a limited number are available.