Shannon Bagley wishes there was more time in the day to dedicate to her volunteer work, which might come as a surprise to anyone who has seen her already lengthy list of community involvement.  

Bagley was honored in May with Bigfork’s Big Hat Award, an annual award presented by Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork at their annual meeting and spring dinner. 

The Big Hat Award recognizes locals who contribute significant energy toward the betterment of Bigfork and celebrates individuals who are cornerstones of the village. The Foundation describes the award as “Bigfork’s lifetime achievement award focusing on service to community and bettering our local way of life.” 

The Foundation recognized Bagley’s decades of contributions to Bigfork, describing her as “the epitome of Bigfork culture. She is hands-on, the life of the party, and shows up consistently when called. Truly, she is an integral part of the structure of keeping Bigfork efficient and, of course, bedazzling. Her list of volunteer organizations is long and just begins to show her work ethic as a volunteer and lover of our small community.” 

Despite her extensive involvement in the community, Bagley said she never expected to receive the award.  

“So many emotions went through my head when they first called my name,” she said. “I was honored, above everything. Honored that people see me and appreciate what I do. Of course, I don’t do it for that. I just love Bigfork. I love volunteering, and I just wish there was more time in the day so that I could work and volunteer more.” 

Bagley, who owns a bookkeeping business and works at Valley Maintenance, boasts an impressive resume of contributing her time and talents to Bigfork. She has been president and treasurer of the Bigfork Chamber, treasurer of Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork, and co-chairs the Festival of the Arts. She is on the board for Bigfork Center for Performing Arts Foundation and the Bigfork Youth Center. While those roles might be enough for most, she is also involved with Rumble in the Bay, highway clean-up projects, Taste of Bigfork and Bigfork Community Players.  

So why does Bagley dedicate so much time to community organizations? It’s a question she’s not even sure she knows how to answer, but her passion for Bigfork is at the core of her motivations. 

“I just love Bigfork, and if there weren’t volunteers in Bigfork, so many things we love just would not get done,” she said. “The number one, absolutely number one, thing I love about Bigfork is the people. Bigfork is just one big family, one very large family.” 

Bagley moved to Bigfork more than 30 years ago. There was a moment early on when she considered returning to her native Nebraska, but was hit with a realization, thinking “No, this is my home now.”  

Bigfork, she said, is something like a vortex.  

“Once you come here, you can’t leave,” she joked. “You don’t want to. It’s just wonderful here.” 

Bagley threw herself into her new community and joined the Chamber board. Over the years, she jumped into new opportunities, where she became known for her sparkly personality, along with her love for bling, sparkles and the color pink. As part of her mission to keep Bigfork “bedazzling,” she’s known to rock sequin sneakers. 

Reflecting on her decades of service, Bagley said it’s the small, in-between moments with dear friends that she remembers most. 

“One little memory that comes up would be with Janine [Beaubien]. We co-chaired the Festival of the Arts, and one of the first days, it was so hot, and we walked and walked and walked. We walked like 12 miles a day. At the end of the day, there was a cooler of ice that we were using, and we just sat there and put our feet in the ice bucket, and it was so fun, after the long days of the show,” Bagley said. 

“Everything I find myself in has just been heartwarming and fun,” Bagley concluded. “I would just love to relate how honored I was to get the award.” 

Reporter Elsa Ericksen can be reached at 406-758-4459 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.