Every year, Buffalo Hill Terrace hosts a big end-of-summer party. This event marks the end of our annual concert series and brings the community together for one last hurrah in the outdoors before the Montana winter takes hold. This year’s event on Saturday, September 15 featured local Western band Barnyard Riot. The Cajun menu, planned and prepared by our fabulous chef Andrew Nelson and his stellar team, included everything from homemade hush puppies (my personal favorite!) to alligator legs (no, they were not chicken).
The courtyard was full of residents, family members, and friends of Immanuel Lutheran Communities enjoying each other and the beautiful weather. Hannah Brown and the Recreation team used checked table cloths and tin pales of flower arrangements to lend a casual but special and festive air to the space. Guests chatted, ate, listened to music, and admired the flower beds that are still thriving in the main courtyard even as fall approaches. All in all, it was a wonderful atmosphere. The Buffalo Hill Terrace team showed once again how well they work together to produce events the entire Flathead Valley community can enjoy.
I was also struck by how philanthropic our community is. As you may know, we’ve been raising money for altar furnishings and stained glass for our new chapel. Thanks to a recent generous donation and a grant from the William and Blanche Hetzel Foundation, we are well on our way toward meeting our $30,000 goal. We were also the recipients of a quilt, handmade and donated by Charmaine Stappler, which we raffled off. Saturday’s concert marked the end of ticket sales. On this last day alone, we raised $550 from the quilt raffle. All told, the raffle raised $1,435 for the altar and stained glass and helped move us that much closer to our goal. We drew the winner on Saturday, as well, and the lucky Cheryl Luke now owns this beautiful quilt. Thank you so much to Charmaine and all who bought tickets! The generosity of people like you helps our community grow and thrive!
While we’re well on our way to creating a sacred space in our new auditorium, we’re not there yet. Right now, we’re about $13,000 short of our goal. If you’d like to help, contact the Foundation office or click the link below and designate your gift to the Altar or Stained Glass fund. Like the residents and family members present at the concert, our donors are critical parts of our Immanuel community. We truly appreciate all you share with us, and we hope to see you (again!) next time our community comes together.