Generations come together for Lonepine Hall

LONEPINE - No one was alone at Lonepine Hall Saturday evening. It was packed with familiar faces, friends and family who joined together as a community to raise money for a good cause.

Lonepine Hall has long been a valued building. Old black and white photographs of earlier generations decorate the walls. It is the place where many weddings, family reunions, holidays and other significant days have happened.

It has been host to countless 4-H meetings that former members fondly remember and current members still devote much of their time. It is not just a building; Lonepine Hall is the heart of the community.

Local Rachel Hulce said the community was reminded of just how much the hall means to them when they lost it back in 1994. The building was lost to a fire but local contractors restored it to its former glory by the sweat on their brows and the strength of their backs. Ever since that historic fire, Lonepine Hall has not been taken for granted.

On Sunday night, approximately 29 kids and 15 families gathered in Lonepine Hall in order to raise money for an air-conditioning unit. The fundraiser was put on by members of the Little Bitterroot 4-H. They wished to give back because they are allowed to use the space for meetings free of charge.

4-H members did something similar around 15 years ago when they worked to raise money for a Lonepine Hall playground.

Lonepine Hall Board President Tammy Beerntsen said the 4-H kids really stepped up and were a big help with the fundraiser.

An air-conditioner would be greatly appreciated in Lonepine Hall because of all the summer events that take place there.

According to Beerntsen, the hall is completely booked with weddings for the month of July and most of June.

“It will be very nice to have [air-conditioning] in there,” Beerntsen said. “It will make it much better.”

In order to raise the money needed for the air-conditioning unit, the hall board and 4-H members put on a spaghetti dinner, silent auction, live auction and live musical performance.

The dinner sold for $6 a plate or $25 for a family of five. There were numerous items auctioned off including Mary Kay and Avon products, canned goods, jewelry, artwork, purses, gift baskets, stuffed animals, as well as other things. A painting by local artist Marla Brown Robin sold for $300.

According to Beerntsen, most of the money earned for the event came from the dinner. The auctions went well also. The real success of the fundraiser came from the generous donations from the community.

“The donations were unbelievable,” Beerntsen said. “A big thank you to the community for everything they have done.”

Beerntsen was thrilled to report they met their fundraiser goal of $3,500 and then some. The plan is to get the air-conditioning unit bought and installed as soon as possible. The additional money will go towards the next project of getting gravel for the parking area.

The Lonepine Hall means so much to the community that they want to do whatever they can to make it nice for generations to come.