It may sound simplistic, but Bigfork is a busy community with a loaded event schedule because people who live there want it that way and work hard to keep things hopping, one of those busy volunteers says.

Donna Lawson has been a volunteer with perhaps every possible organization in Bigfork in the past 15 years.

Lawson speculates that Bigfork residents get involved in their community because of pride of ownership.

Plus, she said, the absence of local government — Bigfork is not an incorporated city — means volunteer groups have to lead the way.

“We’re a village of volunteers,” Lawson said. “Everybody should be proud to live here.”

Lawson is a Bigfork native. She owns and operates The Jug Tree, a business her dad opened 63 years ago. She took over the business 15 years ago after teaching first grade at Helena Flats School near Kalispell for years.

One day, Lawson recalls, she offered her help to fellow Bigfork business owner Gretchen Gates for community projects.

“That was it,” Lawson said. She quickly became involved in all sorts of volunteer efforts, most aimed at promoting Bigfork.

Lawson’s father, Sam Stephens, had been involved in many local groups and promotional efforts, and she felt she had “big shoes to fill” as his daughter.

Her dad was a co-founder of the Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork.

That group “is near and dear to me,” she said. Lawson’s been in charge of the foundation’s major fundraiser for several years, in part as a way to honor her father.

She’s also a chamber member, a chamber board member and had a stint as chamber president.

“Our chamber is very busy and active,” she says.

Lawson is a charter member of the Bigfork Rotary Club and a past president of the group.

She’s chairwoman of the Flathead Valley Community College Foundation, co-chair of the Bigfork Festival of the Arts, a volunteer with the Festival of Flavors and Tamarack Days, on the board of the Bigfork Center for Performing Arts and was involved with Team Bigfork, which is no longer active.

“We like to always keep things going, especially in our shoulder seasons,” Lawson said.

Many volunteers are people who live in Bigfork just during the summer. Essentially any new resident should expect to be asked to volunteer, she said. Getting new volunteers is key to keeping events fresh and volunteers from becoming exhausted.

If by chance a newcomer gets missed by the volunteer scouts, Lawson encourages that person to stop in any business and ask how they can help out.

“We will put you to work, immediately,” she said.

“We have a core of hardworking individuals who solicit other volunteers, all for the love of the community,” Lawson said. “It’s fortunate for us that we find people to volunteer.”

Bigfork may not boast a ski hill, but it has its playhouse and other amenities that are a big boost to the community all summer long, Lawson says.

“We have great gift shops, eateries and weekend activities all year,” she said.

Lawson doesn’t think it’s possible for Bigfork to ever reach capacity for staging events. But that doesn’t mean some events won’t change, some end and new ones get added to the lineup.

“Change is good,” she said.

At some point, the torch held by volunteer leaders will be passed from some of the people in Bigfork who have been volunteering for decades, Lawson said.

As for herself, she’s not yet ready to leave her multiple volunteer roles.

In fact, this summer she and three of her employees, who were also her high school classmates, are planning their 40-year Bigfork High School reunion.

Lawson does carve out personal break time from her work and volunteer schedule. She spends part of each winter in Yuma, Ariz., recharging, and travels to other countries as often as possible. Last winter, she visited Italy, where she sampled plenty of wine to help expand the Italian wine selection at her store. When she took over the business, the shelves featured four kinds of wine — all in a box. Today, she has 1,600 bottles of wine in stock.

“This community is unique,” Lawson said, much like those bottles of wine.

Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.