Annual Charity Dinner Serves the Community

 

February 16, 2022



The Hi-Line Tavern Association’s Annual Charity Dinner “A Splendid Get Together” is scheduled for Monday, February 21, at the Duck Inn in Havre. Dinner tickets are on sale now and can be obtained from any Association member. The organization is also looking for donations for their live and silent auction tables.

According to one Association member, Will DeVries, who owns the Oxford Bar in Havre, the dinner is the Hi-Line Tavern Association’s (HLTA) biggest fundraiser of the year.

“We’re not a bunch of grumpy bar owners who cater to knuckleheads. We actually do as much as we can locally to contribute to organizations and local non-profits. For example, we give back to youth sports, schools, and other organizations who ask us to help out with a liquor basket or a donation,” DeVries stated.

DeVries became the owner of the Oxford in January 2017, and he described his establishment as “a place for people to come together and converse. Just as regulars come to the Oxford to meet, relax, and drink beer, people also have business meetings, Bible groups, and birthday parties here. We’re part of the community.”

The Annual Charity Dinner will be held in the Duck Inn’s Olympic Room on President’s Day. Happy Hour begins at 6:00 with the dinner to follow at 7:00 p.m. The meal will feature shrimp, prime rib, several sides, salads, and dessert. There will also be both silent and live auctions, as well as a number of games to play and prizes to win.

Anyone wishing to donate an item/gift card is encouraged to contact organization President Kodi Cecrle-Peterson at the Fresno Tavern (406-399-3580) or Event Chair Michele Denny (406-945-3237). Donors can also arrange to schedule a pick-up of donated items.

Planned games include darts, Plinko, poker, Mystery Box, the Envelope Match, and a Last Chance Chair Raffle. All are played in the spirit of providing entertainment while raising money. Among the prizes are a trip, travel voucher, and cash.

With the Envelope Match, anyone wishing to play slips a bill into an envelope—the denomination is the player’s choice. The owner of the envelope drawn wins a pay-out prize of ten times that bill, so if the person drawn had slipped a ten into his/her envelope, that individual would win $100.00.

The Last Chance Raffle is a signature affair at “A Splendid Get Together.” Everyone who purchases an event meal ticket is entered into the Last Chance Chair Raffle. Anyone wishing to purchase additional raffle tickets for Chairs 10-12 can do so throughout the night. Nine tickets are drawn, with the winners of those chairs winning $150.00. The owner of the tenth ticket drawn, Chair Ten, would collect $250.00; Chair Eleven: $500.00, and Chair Twelve: $1,000.

DeVries explained that the funds generated at “A Splendid Get Together” are used in one of three ways: to support the local tavern association, to address any legislative action at the state level that affects the entire industry, and to give back to local non-profits. “We’re calling the dinner ticket price a donation, because that is in fact what it is,” he said. “We help out bar owners as well as the community, but the majority of our funds get donated back.”

The HLTA is an affiliate of the Montana Tavern Association (MTA). Members of the MTA are primarily people who hold an alcohol beverage license. However, the MTA does offer an Affiliate Membership, which is for organizations who are “affiliated” with the hospitality industry but do not hold a beverage license. This is also the category for those individuals who have sold their licenses and wish to continue to support the industry. The mission of the MTA is “to preserve and enhance the hospitality industry in Montana.”

With the passing of President Tom Farnham this past year, Vice President Cecrle-Peterson moved into the role as HLTA President. Other HLTA officers are Secretary Doug Denny, Treasurer Lance Johnson, and State Representative Will DeVries. Anyone seeking additional information or wishing to purchase dinner tickets is encouraged to contact one of the officers.

“We’re looking forward to a successful dinner this year after having to cancel last year due to covid,” DeVries concluded.

Cecrle-Peterson echoed her sentiments by saying, “Come out and have some fun. The proceeds from the banquet go to support a wide variety of activities and programs on the Hi-Line.”

 
 

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