Don Bestwick has served in many roles and many years as a volunteer supporting youth sports in the community.

From coaching and umpiring to working with Project Whitefish Kids Inc., which operates Smith Fields, Bestwick has done what he could to help out kids.

“I like kids and I like kids to stay active,” he said simply.

He thinks back to why he first got involved with the group that build Smith Fields and the time he spent as a director, officer, fundraiser and maintenance volunteer.

“There were tons of kids playing soccer and baseball, but they didn’t have a place to play,” he said.

The Whitefish Rotary Club has chosen Bestwick for its annual Spirit of Whitefish honor. He will be the honorary guest at the club’s annual dinner on Nov. 7.

Bestwick retired last year after 33 years working as a physical therapist. He and his wife, Darlene, have two grown children, Michael and Andy.

Bestwick was raised in Alberton, where as a child he watched smoke jumpers do practice runs, and his high school math teacher and coach was a smoke jumper. He knew he wanted to do that himself, so after “several tries” he finally got the job.

He traveled around the Northwest working five summers as a smoke jumper and making jumps on 48 fires.

“There was one day I got off a fire in Alaska and that night I was jumping in Wyoming — that was a long day,” he said. “You develop a lot of comradery with the guys you work with.”

Most importantly, he said, smoke jumping paid for his college education. He earned a degree in physical education from the University of Montana and a degree in physical therapy from the University of Washington.

In addition to his work with youth sports, he has made several trips to Ecuador on medical missions. He has served as both medical and labor volunteer on those trips.

“I had a desire to help and a curiosity because I had never been in a Third World country before,” he said. “I think I got more from the people there than they got from me.”

The Whitefish Rotary Club will hold its Spirit of Whitefish celebratory dinner, live and silent auction event Saturday, Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. at The Lodge at Whitefish Lake. Tickets are $60 for the dinner. Raffle tickets will be sold for a gold and silver bullion coin drawing.

All proceeds benefit local projects, as well as, Rotary International projects.

For tickets, contact Clif Hayden at clif@whitefishlaw.com or 862-2528.