A group with a longtime commitment to youth skiing and the heritage of skiing here was honored last week with the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce’s Great Whitefish Award.

The Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation is a nonprofit youth organization dedicated to promoting skiing and ski racing. It’s also the group behind efforts to create the Ski Heritage Center Museum of Skiing and Ski Hall of Fame.

Whitefish Mountain Resort CEO Dan Graves presented the award to Tim Hinderman, FVSEF’s executive director, during the chamber’s annual awards ceremony Wednesday at the O’Shaughnessy Center.

“They have been the driving force carrying on the tradition of ski racing here,” he said. “They are maintaining the ski heritage and skiing for future generations.”

The precursor to the FVSEF, the Hell-Roaring Ski Club was formed in 1937, and a decade later The Big Mountain ski area officially opened. In the 1970s FVSEF began working to fund youth racing programs. The group was instrumental in bringing the 2001 U.S. Alpine National Championships to Whitefish.

FVSEF sponsors the Tommy Moe League, offers a number of youth ski programs and sponsors a number of race teams.

Business of the Year

Business of the Year was awarded to the Reisch Family Partnership, which over many decades has opened and operated several businesses in Whitefish including Safeway, Pin & Cue, Marcus Foods, Alpine village Market and the Montana Tap House.

The Reisch Family also recently began a project to convert the former Whitefish Independent High School building into a boarding house that would house up to 34 seasonal workers.

“Together their businesses employ 100 people,” chamber president Tony Veseth said in presenting the award. “They are the developers of the first workforce housing project.”

Duane Reisch said when he came in 1971 to Whitefish he was the only member of the Reisch family here and now that’s changed.

“There were 18 people at Christmas,” he said. “The whole family is here. Whitefish is a neat community and we’re proud to live here.”

Tourism Business of the Year

The Tourism Business of the Year award went to the Big Mountain Commercial Association.

The nonprofit association that raises funds to pay for services and programs including the SNOW bus, Glacier Park Express, Big Mountain Road winter maintenance, the Big Mountain summer and spring Brewfest and the Winter Winefest.

The SNOW bus provides more than 80,000 free rides to Whitefish Mountain Resort.

A few years ago the association also started the Glacier Park Express, which provides summer transportation to the resort and service from Whitefish to Glacier National Park.

Citizen of the Year

The Citizen of the Year award went to Tom Tornow.

Tornow has been an attorney for more than 30 years representing clients as diverse as the Rolling Stones and real estate development and small businesses.

He has served on the American Bar Association Affordable Housing Forum; the Montana Bar Legal Services Delivery Committee; and the Montana Bar Fee Arbitration Committee; as President of the Whitefish City/County Planning Board; and on the Master Plan Revision Committee of the Whitefish Community Development Corporation. He is active in the Whitefish Chamber and serves as chairman of its affordable workforce housing committee.

He also volunteers with the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation and the Whitefish WAG dog park.

“This award is for his outstanding leadership both professionally and personally,” Mayor John Muhlfeld said. “For his contributions to the community.”

Volunteer of the Year

The Volunteer of the Year award went to Katie Williams.

Chamber director Kevin Gartland said Williams trains 60 volunteers every year to run the bar at the Great Northwest Oktoberfest.

“She’s the only person that works more than I do at Oktoberfest,” he said. “She’s there slogging ice, moving kegs and setting up.”

Williams also serves on the chamber’s affordable housing committee and on the Whitefish City Council.

Ambassador of the Year

Ambassador of the Year went to Derek Winders for his commitment to the chamber’s events.

He is the former owner of Radioshack and the new owner of the South Fork Saloon in Martin City.