Monday, August 03, 2026
50.0°F

Spirit of Whitefish

HEIDI DESCH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 7 years, 11 months AGO
by HEIDI DESCH
DEPUTY EDITOR, FEATURES Heidi Desch is the Deputy Editor at the Daily Inter Lake, overseeing coverage of arts, culture, lifestyle, community, and business. Desch leads reporters in developing stories that highlight the people, traditions, and events shaping Northwest Montana, guiding content across print and digital platforms. With more than 20 years of journalism experience, including serving as managing editor of the Whitefish Pilot, Desch is a graduate of the University of Montana School of Journalism. She has received multiple Montana Newspaper Association awards, including part of the team leading the Daily Inter Lake to Best Daily Newspaper in Montana Award and the General Excellence Award in 2024 and 2025. IMPACT: Heidi’s work connects readers with stories that deepen the understanding of the community beyond daily news. | August 21, 2018 1:40 PM

The Rotary Club will hold its Spirit of Whitefish celebration on Thursday, Sept. 6 at 6 p.m. at the O’Shaughnessy Center.

The Whitefish Rotary Club has named Doug Reed the recipient of its 2018 Spirit of Whitefish award.

Reed was raised in Whitefish and is the owner of Whitefish Lake Restaurant. Reed has been heavily involved in the community.

Rotary Club president Joel Pemberton said the list of ways Reed has supported and volunteered in Whitefish is long.

“He has done a ton of different things in the community,” he said.

Pemberton said the club selects its honoree by looking for an individual who has supported and given to the community through volunteerism.

The event, which also serves as a fundraiser for the club’s local and international projects, includes food and beverages with a no-host bar. Silent auction items for the evening, include a 30-day membership to the Wave, three golf lessons with a Whitefish golf professional, an Apple Watch, a pheasant hunt in Malta, a southern Italian dinner, a Memphis barbecue dinner, a wheel barrow full of beer, a wheel barrow full of wine, a cedar picnic table, a pizza dinner and dine and ski on Big Mountain package.

Tickets are $45 and are available for purchase through Sept. 1 at the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce office. For more information, call Joe Basirico at 253-2278.

ARTICLES BY HEIDI DESCH

Whitefish City Council looks at ways to trim draft budget
August 3, 2026 midnight

Whitefish City Council looks at ways to trim draft budget

More than a half million dollars in cuts are being offered up as a way to reduce the city of Whitefish's proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

New Flathead Valley Community College Foundation director looks to keep assisting education mission
August 3, 2026 midnight

New Flathead Valley Community College Foundation director looks to keep assisting education mission

New Flathead Valley Community College Foundation director looks to keep assisting education mission

Aptly named: Scenic Point in Glacier National Park offers spectacular views
July 26, 2026 midnight

Aptly named: Scenic Point in Glacier National Park offers spectacular views

While marking the points between the switchbacks, the view only gets better with each step, showcasing the rising peaks and brilliant blue of Two Medicine Lake in the valley below.