It may not have been the Great Light Fight, but the MSU-Northern (MSUN) Alumni Foundation wrapped up its first Deck the Halls Challenge this past Monday when voting closed. Twelve houses in Havre and the Jeff and Lynette Finley residence in Chinook competed for the best holiday light display. In order to vote, however, admirers had to put their money behind their strong opinions. The winning house was the one that brought in the most donations. Monday morning, after an anonymous donor contributed $1,000 to House Five, it looked like that would be the winning house.

According to Shantel Cronk, the Executive Director of the MSUN Foundation, this was a fundraising competition where a vote for one's favorite house meant making a donation to the Foundation. Donations were made in-person, by mail, or online through the Foundation's webpage or through Facebook.

Cronk explained in a phone interview last week: "People stopped on campus to drop off their cash or check donations, and each house had an ambassador who collected cash and check donations, as well. For example, my parents, Richard and Paulette Cronk were Ambassador's for Jeff's house, so people who didn't feel comfortable putting a credit card online could still make their voice count."

Another of Finley's ambassadors was Jim Anderson, who also collected funds for the Chinook house. Serving on the Foundation's Board of Trustees, Anderson is a member of MSUN's class of '91.

The thirteen houses competing were entered by volunteers who agreed to decorate their homes and to participate in the fundraiser on MSUN's behalf. Some of those agreeing to enter the competition were MSUN staff and alumni; others were simply willing supporters, like Finley. In fact, he was nominated by Paulette Cronk, who is a 1963 graduate of Northern Montana College.

Finley likely received the nomination to compete because he had already distinguished himself as creative, having decorated his house for Halloween with lights, giant spiders, webbing, and a candy dispensing mechanism constructed from PVC pipe. With his mechanical device-and to maintain social distancing-Finley could deliver candy from the second story window of his home to trick-or-treaters waiting on the sidewalk below.

For the Deck the Halls rivalry, Finley joined other volunteers who vied for first and second place prizes. The owner of the winning house received a $500.00 prize donated by MSUN Star Sponsor, Northwestern Energy. Another Star Sponsor, Enell financed the $250.00 prize for the second place winner. Owned and founded by Havre resident Renelle Braaten, Enell is a sports bra company whose slogan claims to provide "unshakable support for well-endowed women."

Twelve additional businesses contributed to the Deck the Halls effort with monies that covered some of the Foundation's advertising and printing costs connected to the competition.

Both Facebook and the MSUN Foundation website gave people access to the houses so that they could be viewed without the drive, if driving was a barrier for anyone. Facebook featured each house in a livestream that had been uploaded. In some of those, Cronk narrated as she pointed out a house's best features and encouraged people to vote.

So that the houses could be showcased on the Foundation's website (https://msunfoundation.org/), Cronk used her MacBook to create movies, which then appeared on Vimeo, a video hosting, sharing, and services platform that Cronk described as "one of the quickest, no-cost ways to create high quality videos." She selected companion music and then let the staff vote on which pairing's they liked best.

Those who took the driving tour of the houses-using a map that could be downloaded from the Foundation's website-also discovered musical accompaniment with some of the houses onsite. For example, the bells at Finley's rang in sync to an instrumental version of "Frosty the Snowman." Other houses also had speakers outside with lights coordinated to their music, and House Number Ten synced its light show to the radio station 98.1 FM.

"Even though we always want to celebrate 'our Lights,' this event was as much about supporting Northern as it was about motivating people to get out of their houses, take a drive, and see all of the holiday decorations and lights. We wanted the event to be an uplifting outlet during all the recent imposed isolation due to COVID," Cronk said.

This winter fundraiser was a replacement for the Alumni Auction, which has historically taken place in October. "The Alumni Auction has been our big fundraising event for student scholarships, clubs, and athletics," Cronk said. "Because that event brings in a crowd of around two hundred people who place their bets on students holding numbered paddles, we were unable to schedule that due to health restrictions. As an alternative, the money raised during the Deck the Halls Competition will supplement the funds that we use for those student programs and purposes. This was a great way to raise money, get out of the house, support a favorite holiday display, and enjoy some holiday LIGHTS!"

Another house on the circuit was that of Autumn and Jim Elliot. Autumn, a '99 graduate of MSUN, is married to Elliot, a 1994 graduate of Chinook High School, making their house one with Blaine County ties, as well.

As donations rolled in, updates occurred on both websites, which allowed people to monitor the leaderboard, follow their favorites, and see where each house stood in the rankings. On the morning of December 14, Finley's entry-House One-was only $22.00 behind second place. By nightfall, House One was in first place, a status it held until Friday morning, December 18, when House Three surpassed it by $246. By Friday evening, that gap had shrunk by $100. The two battled until late Sunday, when an anonymous donor rocketed House Five into the lead with $1,000.

Cronk invites anyone who missed the opportunity to donate during the Challenge to consider donating to the Excellence Fund or giving a memorial. "It's the season of giving, and you can make a positive impact on the students of Northern by making a donation. A Memorial Gift is another way that your generosity can impact the lives of our students while honoring someone you love," Cronk stated.

Individuals interested in these funding opportunities are encouraged to contact the Foundation office by calling (406) 265-3711 or by emailing alumni@msun.edu.

Cronk joined the Foundation in August of 2019, taking on the role of Chief Executive Officer. A fourth generation Montanan, she grew up on a ranch near Savoy and graduated from Chinook High School in 1991. To the Foundation, a non-profit charitable organization that functions as a supportive arm of MSUN, Cronk brought over 25 years of for-profit experience in project and strategic management. She finds pleasure in her current position, which allows her to interact with people and to help them funnel their gifts in meaningful ways.

"Philanthropy is important work. As we evolve our staff, we continue to strive to provide the resources necessary to make Northern thrive and to support as many initiatives and students as possible while engaging our supporters," Cronk said.