Whitefish rallied in support of Gary Cabell -- a beloved former ski patroller on Big Mountain -- three years ago, and they are at it again.

Now, the community is looking to raise money for Cabell by raffling a Whitefish Mountain Resort 2026-27 season pass. Tickets are available for the online raffle until April 4 and cost $20 each. The winning ticket will be drawn on April 5, the ski hill’s closing day. For ski pass raffle tickets, go to app.galabid.com/pass-with-a-purpose. 

Cancer and the surgery to address it caused Cabell to suffer physical damage, including nerve damage in his leg. Despite working to regain his strength, the once daily skier found it increasingly difficult to walk and live in his home, a cabin to which he hauled water for years. 

A GoFundMe page was set up by his neighbor, Lauren Walker, and a team of friends along with about 25 local businesses galvanized around Cabell, to give him a well, septic and complete indoor plumbing, as well as an accessible ramp and railings around his deck. 

Each Jan. 7, friends gather to celebrate Cabell’s birthday. In 2023, the party included a Whitefish Mountain Resort ski pass raffle. This year, Cabell turned 78 and another, special ski pass is being raffled off. 

“If Gary's ever ready to get back on skis, would you give him a ski pass?” Walker recalled asking Whitefish Mountain Resort President Nick Polumbus three years ago. “And he was like, ‘One hundred percent. We will absolutely give Gary a ski pass when he's ready to come back to the mountain.’” 

Physical therapy and strength training wasn’t bringing Cabell the desired result -- his return to the mountain to ski -- and Walker said the doctors didn’t feel skiing was an option. With that in mind, she returned to Polumbus with another question: Would he give the season pass to her so it could be raffled off to raise money for Cabell? 

"He was all in for it,” she said. “The only stipulation that he made was that whoever won the pass would ski with Gary in mind and all the contribution that he's made to the mountain and to our community.” 

The funds from the raffle will help fill a void caused by a scammer.  

“He just turned 78 and he has been, I hate to use the word victim, but I guess that's the correct word,” Walker said. “Anyone getting swindled is a horrible thing, but it just felt like insult to injury on this one.”  

The Federal Trade Commission website lists four ways to recognize a scam. Scammers pretend to be from an organization you know. They say there is a problem or a prize and will pressure you to act immediately. Finally, the scammers will tell you to pay in a specific way. 

In Cabell’s case, the fraudsters claimed to be from Publisher’s Clearing House. They asked him lots of questions on the phone, sent a check that couldn’t be cashed and weaseled their way into his bank accounts. 

"They got into the credit union by way of me just kind of having to deal with it,” Cabell said. “They ask you questions and you go, ‘Yeah, yeah.’” 

The effects of scams are devastating, and Cabell is not alone. In Whitefish last year, there were 45 confirmed fraudulent reports, the victims of which ranged from teenagers to the elderly. 

Detective Hunter Boll with the Whitefish Police Department investigates these crimes and said information can be stolen online, through imposter shopping sites offering extreme deals, or through unsolicited contact over the phone, text or email. Personalized videos produced with AI are also being used to trick people out of their money. 

“These frauds and scams have evolved overtime, but it is the same basic script for each one of them,” Boll said. “They all have the same characteristics, with the most prevalent being extreme high-pressure, where the suspect [says] this is a limited time offer, and you have no time to think about it.” 

Another sign of a fraud is a request for unusual payments, like gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrency -- payment types that, typically, cannot be tracked. 

When online, beware of requests to click on a download. Boll said downloads usually install a program which allows the swindler to get your information. 

Real estate cons are on the rise, too. 

“Those are pretty prevalent right now,” he said. “People list a property, a house, or whatever it may be for sale or rent and then ask for a deposit upfront, and these people lose out of that money when this property is truly not for sale or rent.” 

If you responded to a nefarious offer, Boll said your first call should be to the bank to freeze the account and the second call should be to the police department. 

Prevention would be the most desired course and that involves being aware and knowing when to hang up. 

“The biggest thing I tell people is, if they get this email or text or this phone call, if they have any questions, hang up. Stop communication,” Boll said. “If this is a true attempt at an investment, or whatever it may be, there's always time to research. If you're unsure, hang up. 

“I also tell people to call me or call any police department. We can listen to what the situation is and help somebody make a determination on what to do,” Boll said. "If there's ever any question about anything, call us.” 

Whitefish also has an online reporting system with an option for reporting fraud. Another resource is IC3.gov, an FBI website specifically for reporting fraud. 

My Glacier Village in Kalispell, a nonprofit serving older adults, offers scam prevention information and will host a Senior Fraud Summit on April 11, at Flathead Valley Community College. 

IN HIS characteristically chill way, Cabell commented on the current lack of new snow on Big Mountain. 

“I'm from the old school when we used to open at Thanksgiving,” Cabell mused. “So, we’re waiting on snow. That's all you can do, wait on the snow. Every little bit you get, you gotta pack it down and hope it stays.” 

His gentle, ski-bum attitude is appealing, and makes it crystal clear why the community is happy to lend him a hand. 

“Every year ... I put a message onto the GoFundMe to let everybody know Gary's still doing well,” Walker said. “And every year a handful of people make another donation. It's so beautiful that people are continuing to help and support year after year.”  

A wood stove is still the heat source in Cabell’s house. He gathers, stacks and loads wood into the house daily. 

“He’s quite amazing -- what he’s able to do, and always his happy, spirited self,” Walker said. “He’s always a joy to be around. Never complaining.” 

Cabell’s not complaining, but he is on the lookout for an older model propane heater. 

"I have to get an older model heater that the exhaust goes straight up and not out the back like the new ones, so I can use my existing exhaust pipe,” Cabell said. “I'm just hanging in there. I appreciate all the help I can get.” 

    Gary Cabell shovels show at his home last week. (Photo provided)