Special Olympics Montana Endowment

Reveal the Champion in All of Us…

“WE DID IT!” exclaimed Bob Norbie, Executive Director of the five-year Special Olympics Montana Reveal the Champion in All of Us Endowment Campaign. Inspired by athletes who never give up, Special Olympics Montana achieved and surpassed its $10 million campaign goal by nearly $200K on June 30, 2021, thanks to generous fans from across the state.

 

“This effort began in 2016 with a $1 million lead gift from the campaign’s honorary chairman, Tom Scott, and his wife, Joan. Four other faithful stewards of Special Olympics contributed $1 million gifts or more to the campaign. These came from the Bob and Gladyce Oakland Family in Great Falls, Cyndi and Michael Huempfner in Bozeman, the First Interstate Bank and First Interstate BancSystem Foundation, and the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation. All told, the campaign received contributions from more than 340 donors, 20 of which were $100K or more,” said Norbie.

 

“In spite of health issues, the death of three key campaign council members, and the coronavirus pandemic, endowment campaign council members and the board of directors remained tenacious about achieving their goal,” said Jim Foley, chairman of the campaign’s executive leadership council.

 

“With the finish line in sight, two donors gave a gold medal performance to reach our goal. First Interstate Bank made a $1 million donation, and the Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation added $750K to their original $1 million gift. Two hundred fifty thousand dollars of the Washington Foundation gift came from Kevin Washington as a dollar-for-dollar match challenge. The collective efforts of these two powerhouse fans inspired giving into the homestretch and created an incredible response to the match challenge,” said Foley.

 

“The endowment, protected in perpetuity, will use earnings to supplement annual operations across the state. Local, area, and state level sports training and competition, health, leadership and community-building initiatives will be funded through this resource. Special Olympics Montana will extend its reach to many more eligible people with intellectual disabilities who are just sitting on the sidelines waiting for the chance to participate,” said Rhonda McCarty, Special Olympics Montana CEO.

 

To stir support throughout the campaign several unique events and efforts took place. In 2017, the Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation made available their Silver Cloud business train to take guests on an excursion along the Clark Fork River in passenger cars, some nearly 100 years old. More than $500K was pledged to the campaign during the train ride.

 

Following his run for Governor, Tim Fox invited his supporters to donate leftover campaign funds to the Special Olympics Montana endowment campaign. One hundred fifty-eight donors approved transferring their campaign donation to the endowment, generating more than $72,000.

 

With remarkable foresight over the past twenty-five years, Craig and Kathy Bolme have invested in an account intended to support Special Olympics. Through additional support from Craig’s mother and several friends, that account grew to more than $260K before it was transferred into the endowment.

 

Additionally, several insurance policies have been taken out in the name of Special Olympics Montana, and nearly 40 Deferred Planned Gift Annuities were produced.

 

Aside from cost of personnel to service the campaign, most everything was donated. Chris and Wes Spiker of Spiker Communications donated thousands of dollars to help design, produce and message the campaign.

 

To shepherd this campaign to its goal took considerable effort by members of the Honorary and Executive Leadership Councils. These stalwarts of the campaign gave countless hours to soliciting contributions. While words of appreciation are woefully inadequate, we give thanks to our Honorary Campaign Chairman, Tom Scott, and Executive Leadership Council Chairman, Jim Foley, along with council members Don Cape, Jr., Nick Cladis, Andrew Davidson, Cyndi and Michael Huempfner, Stacey Johnston-Gleason, Kreg Jones, Grant Lincoln, Scott Lind, Rhonda McCarty, Beth McFadden, Bob Oakland, Jim O’Day, John Parkes, Kathy Rice, Rick Reisig, Randy Scott, Darryl Seymour, Cooper Thomas, and Kevin Washington. Day after day, this working team kept the campaign energized.

 

Posthumously, we want to recognize three pivotal council members who passed away during the campaign. Amazing stewards Randy Scott (11/9/2019), Bob Oakland (6/15/2020) and Tom Scott (6/20/2020), brought critical vision and leadership to the campaign helping create a world of acceptance, respect, and inclusion. We will forever remember these gentlemen as giants on whose shoulders we were all lifted to achieve our goal.

Charter Members

Years before the launch of the 2016-2020 $10 million Reveal the Champion in All of Us Endowment Campaign, a handful of the dedicated individuals, businesses, and organizations noted here, recognized that giving to an endowment was the path to sustainability. Through their passion and vision for the mission of Special Olympics Montana, they inspired countless others to step up and contribute to the more recent Reveal the Champion in All of Us Endowment Campaign. We cannot thank you enough for blazing the trail to securing our future!

Big Sky Brokerage, Carl A. Wells
Nick & Linda Cladis
D.A. Davidson & Company
Joe & Katie Johnson
Johnson Wax Company
Montana Knights of Columbus Charities, Inc.
The late Doug & the late Jackie Maha
Proctor & Gamble
Governor Ted Schwinden
Stein Haus, Inc.
Jan Stenerud

Endowment Donors

$1,750,000 Plus

Dennis & Phyliss Washington Foundation

$1,000,000 Plus

First Interstate Bank & First Interstate BancSystem Foundation
Cyndi & Mike Huempfner
The Bob & Gladyce Oakland Family
Joan Scott & the late Tom Scott

$500,000 Plus

Grant & Jennifer Lincoln

$300,000 Plus

Stan Feist
Kris Houtonen
John & Heidi Parkes

$250,000 Plus

Craig & Kathy Bolme
Kevin & Chelsea Washington

$150,000 Plus

Ian & Nancy Davidson Family Foundation
Beth & Gaines McFadden
Oakland Family Foundation
John Thomas & the late Leslie Oakland Thomas

$100,000 Plus

Anonymous
Discovery Land Company Foundation
Jim & Julie Foley
Scott & Theresa Lind
John & Tricia McKenna
N.E.W. Charitable Foundation
Pat Sletten & the late Bob Sletten

$50,000 Plus

Joe & Diane Billion
Don & Shavon Cape
Tim & Karen Fox
General Distributing Company
Brad & Kathy Huempfner
Erik & Seana Iverson
James & Joanne Kack
David, Monica, Bella & Nino Paoli

$250,000 Plus

Bob & Jane Becker
David & Tanya Cameron
Nancy A. Davidson
Todd & Tammy Clausen
Andrew & Wendy Davidson
Carol Mungas
Margaret O’Leary & Glenn Tremper
Mike & Kathy Sampson
Lynette Scott & the late Randy Scott
Larry & Cara Simkins
Randy & Wendy Simkins
Mike & Jena Tabacco
Cooper Thomas
Warren & Betsy Wilcox

$20,000 Plus

Scott & Barbara Heck
Ashley & Richie Whitney
Williams Plumbing & Heating

$10,000 Plus

Anonymous
Glenn & Juliann Bliss
Mick & Kim Blodnick
Eric & Brenda Borggard
Nick & Linda Cladis
Frank & Margaret Gebhardt
Jackie Hasler
Kreg & Jackie Jones
The late Mary Malyevac
Mary Alice Fortin Foundation
Stephen & Shirley Nelson
Bob & Mary Lou Norbie
Greg & Amber Pinski
Owen & Gayle Robinson
Dan & Jeanne Scott Foundation
Chris & Wes Spiker – Spiker Communications Inc.
Ernie & Anna Steiner
Aja Thomas
Suzanne Wilson

$5,000 Plus

Barnard Construction
Jeremiah & Janice Cashman
Michelle & Dennis Cattin
Mike Combo
Curt & Lanni Jacobson
Chuck & Gerry Jennings
Larry & Anne Martinez
Dan & Sharon Oakland
Chuck & Marcia Raches
Darryl & Kelly Seymour
Jeff & Aggie Vandergrift

$2,500 Plus

Alexander Blewett III
Steve & Holly Brookstein
Capital Development, Inc.
Diamond Marketing
Dick Walter Subaru
Montana Knights of Columbus Charities, Inc.
New York Life Insurance Company/Les Marsh
James & Kathy O’Day
Tom & Lorie Pelatt
Rick & Carrie Reisig
Erik & Kim Sletten
Harry Stannebein Family

$1,000 Plus

Anonymous
Anonymous
Theodore & Vicki Beck
Jennifer & William Bryan
Beth Denton & Matt Brown
Ed & Joyce Eck
Alvin & Maureen Ellis
Felicia Ennis
Dennis & Becky Franks
Marilyn Garner
Gregg Holt & the late Patricia Holt
Dan & Lora Huestis
Bob & Sheila Kelly
Joseph & Stephanie Leimkuhler
Gerard & Melanie Luminoso
Art & Renee Malisani
Austin & Haylee Marzetta
Rhonda & Jon McCarty
Colleen & Patrick McCutcheon
Walter & Karen McNutt
Megan & Stanley Montoya
Renee & Roger Newman
Alice Norbie & the late Ken Norbie
Pennington’s
James & Lorraine Peterson
Kevin & Mary Pitzer
Ellen & Kenneth Slater
Marc & Debbie Swanson
Lila & Walter Taylor
Sue & Ed Warren
Steven & Tracy Williamson
Raymond & DeLona Zinn
Ray & Cheryl Zukowski

Donations Up to $999.00

3D International/Mark & Jenny Grassechi
Donald Armstrong
Associated Business Systems
Julie Baldridge
Tim & Mary Barnard
CR Bartowski
John and Nina Baucus
Big Sky Brokerage
Judy Birch
Scott & Laie Black
Brittany Blood
Kay Bollinger
Rick & Mary Borden
Truman & Alida Brekke
Peter & Barb Bronken
Kathryn Brown
Robert & Sandra Brown
Robert J. Brown
Rockwood Brown
Donald Brummel
Buckhorn Bar Corporation
Jean Bungarden
Darryl, Karen & DJ Burditt
James Burrington
Maureen Casey-McKeever
Casey’s
Ji Suk Chae
Brett Chapman
City Bar & Lounge
Virginia Coffee
Keith Cook
Matt Coon
Don & Patty Cowles
Bruce Crippen
Richard Cronk
Sandi Cummings
John Cutter
Joe & Julie Dahinden
Michael Dalton
Star & Dana Darko
John E. DeMarois
Robert DeMarois

Vickie & Scott Donisthorpe
Kenneth Donovan
Michael Downing
Greg Duncan
Vicki & Phil Dunham
Wayne & Lorinda Edwards
Donald Eisenmenger
Elwood English
Enterprise Holdings Foundation
Jaden Erwin
Russ Fagg
Susan Fagg
Conrad Farmers State Bank
Felstead Animal Clinic
Daniel Fiehrer
First National Bank of Montana
Tammi Fisher
Robert Fjeldheim
Cameo Flood
John Fredlund
Charles & Laura Fricke
Gary Fuller
Ed Garding
Floydena & Bill Garrison
Vicki Gleich
Bryan Golie
Jeanette & Jeffrey Gray
Lorents Grosfield
Betty Haddon
Roger Hagan
Jerry & Barbara Hamlin
Thomas & Robin Hanel
Judy Harding
Tom & Mary Jane Heisler
Scott Held
Chase Hibbard
Allyn & the late Deanna Holland
Holter Museum of Art
Michael Hope
Brian & Barbara Hoven
Marilyn Hudson

Leonard & Rhonda Huseby
Wendy Hutchinson
Mike & Sherri Jackson
Julie James
Joe & Katie Johnson
Mark & Jennifer Johnson
Johnson Wax Company
Stacey Johnston-Gleason
Llew & Carole Jones
Marty & Cheryl Jorgensen
Verl Justesen
Donald Kaltschmidt, Jr.
Matthew Kenneally
Henry & Mildred Kilsdonk
Klass Kloosterhof
David Knapp
Knights of Columbus, Billings Chapter 1259
Knights of Columbus, Missoula Chapter 13022
Knights of Columbus, Roundup Chapter 2464
Knights of Columbus, Forsyth Chapter 3039
Robert Koch
Keeny Koch-Lindstrom
Toni Kolendich
John Kranick
Ray Kuntz
Lake County Bank
William Langlas
Angela Lind
Paul Lindstrom
Denley Loge
Lovelock Elementary School Sunshine Club
The late Doug & the late Jackie Maha
Eugene & Mary Lou Mallette
Carrie Mantooth
Kat & Larry Martin
Lois McBride
Gary McCaleb

Pat McCraney
Corey & Carol McGreevey
John McIntosh & Sidney
Colla McIntosh
Wendy McKamey
David McLean
Dennis Menholt
David & Jeri Mihalic
Judith Muyres
Michael & Sandra Muyres
Pat Muyres & Jack Barnes
Karen Neibauer
Harold Nelson
Kathy Ogren
Debbie Olson-Sevier & Michael Sevier
Brandon Page
Terry & Patt Payne
Jerry & Cathleen Perkins
Herbert Pierce
Elza Plann
The late Sherman Platts
John Poston
Kirsten & Jorge Poveda
Proctor & Gamble Company
Teresa & Philip Rainforth
Adam Reeves
Cindy & Chris Reiquam
Eric & Lynn Replinger
Jean Replinger
Arleen Rice
Carl Robertson
Kimera & Brian Robertson
Lisa & Mike Romig
John Runda
Dave & Karla Runkel
The late Allie Mae Russell
Bertie Rust
Orlando Salazar
Bill & Sue Salonen
Terri & Douglas Sappington
John & Wendy Schaffer
Mike & Shari Schmit/Jenkins Designs
Governor Ted Schwinden

John & Sally Seeberger
Steve & Carol Seltzer
Service Corps of Montana
Ray Shaw
Cathie Sheldon
Bill & Marilyn Simmons
Loren Smith
Paul Snyder
Rod & Brittney Souza
Ralph Spence
James Spielman
Bill & Danette Sprinkle
Nina & Laramie Stefani
Stein Haus, Inc.
Jan Stenerud
Matt Stevens
Joe Stevenson
John Swanz
Herbert & Ann Tasker
The late Michael Tilleman
Derek Tisdel
Truman & Linda Tolson
Brion Torgerson
Nancy & Sean Undercofler
Jim Utterback
Jan & Kathleen Vandam
Steve & Kay Van Gilder
Linda Vaughey
Dirk & Kim Visser
Lois Warner
Donna Wegner
Bob Whaley
Andrew & Lonney White
Peggy Williams
Shelly Wills
Robert Wilson
Jamie Wood
Raymond Wooldridge
Gregory Zoeller