Pearl Galbraith hopes her 50th birthday proves to be a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for North Valley Food Bank.

Galbraith is sharing her birthday, which is on St. Patrick’s Day, with the food bank and is asking gifts be in the form of donations — preferably in the theme of 50 or green. She’s hoping for 50 cans of green beans or 50 green apples or 50 green dollar bills or 50 tubes of green toothpaste.

“I want my birthday to be the excuse to turn people to action,” Galbraith said. “Most people have great intentions, but unless there is a scheduled event, they don’t act and life keeps rolling. I want my birthday to be the specific urgency.”

On Tuesday, March 17 Galbraith will be at the food bank from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to collect donations. She will be giving a prize for the most creative donation based on the 50 theme.

“People will eat on Thursday based on what is donated on Tuesday,” she said. “I want to make 50 introductions to the food bank of my friends and future friends.”

SueAnn Grogan-King, executive director of the food bank, was excited by the idea and suggested Galbraith be the one to greet donors.

“We love great ideas and we’re all over it when someone has one,” she said. “This is our pot of gold for the day. I think this really shows how easy it is to support the food bank.”

Galbraith was inspired by her daughter, who held a previous birthday “pawty,” asking for gifts for dogs that she then gave to Humane Society. She also heard a news story about a man who stood on a street corner giving away $5 bills on his birthday.

“My husband Mark asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I knew I wanted to pay it forward,” she said. “I decided I was going to play off the 50 theme.”

Galbraith said Whitefish offers so many opportunities to give, but many fundraisers are looking for donations in the hundreds of dollars or are about funding long-term infrastructure. She said those are great, but she wanted something different.

“I wanted something that is more practical and tangible,” she said. “Maybe everyone can’t give $50, but maybe it’s 50 dimes. Or maybe they can give 50 minutes or 50 hours of their time to volunteer.”

She hopes to inspire others to donate on their own birthday, especially her fellow 50-year-olds.

The food bank is in need of canned and fresh fruit, nuts, plant seeds, protein or personal hygiene products. Right now the food bank is serving about 140 families.

For more information, contact North Valley Food Bank at 862-5863.

How to donate

Pearl Galbraith will celebrate her 50th birthday on March 17 at North Valley Food Bank by collecting donations from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Donations can also be left on the front porch of the food bank. For those who can’t make it that day, Galbraith will pick up donations by calling her at 260-0485.