Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 0 86 F O R T H E L o v e O F . . . ANOTHER OUTSTANDING MONTANA NONPROFIT. A W E E K O F H O P E She also has cystic fibrosis, a progressive, hereditary disease affect- ing the lungs—and making everything she enjoys more challenging. Elle is one of twenty children with serious medical conditions who, along with their families, have been invited to Flathead Lake Lodge, a family-owned guest ranch in Bigfork, Montana, to celebrate "A Week of Hope" on the occasion of the lodge's seventy-fifth anniver- sary this summer. Families will be attending from all over, including three from right here in Montana. "Unbelievable!" says Elle's fa- ther, Sean Lynch, recounting how he felt when he learned that Elle had been selected to participate in the event. "My wife sent me a text immediately after she heard the news… What a beautiful place and opportunity! When I got home from work, it was high fives and hugs all around." To bring A Week of Hope to life, Flathead Lake Lodge has partnered with HopeKids, a national organization that provides ongoing events and activities for fami- lies who have a child with a life-threatening health condition, and Montana Children's, Kalispell Regional Healthcare's pediatric facility offering inpatient and outpatient pediatric specialty care in north- west Montana. "As we thought about how to celebrate our seventy-fifth anniversary, we knew it had to be bigger than us," says Chase Averill, the third-gener- ation general manager at Flathead Lake Lodge. "For our family, it was important that we celebrate the legacy that was started by Grandpa Les when he opened the lodge in 1945 and continued by my own father, Doug, as he helped carry on the Western way of life." Each year-round staff member at Flathead Lake Lodge is "adopting" A Week of Hope kid and their fam- ily. The adoption includes contact with the family prior to the week, and being point person for every need the family has before, during and after their stay. "When it came time to cele- brate this anniversary year, we knew we didn't want it to be just about us," says Chase. "The experi- ences and the feeling of home that the ranch provides is what makes this place so special and for us, the anniversary is about sharing this beautiful ranch with them." by SHANNON PAGE T EN-YEAR-OLD ELLE LYNCH IS A FUN-LOVING, ENERGETIC, CARING GIRL. She loves reading and school in general, but she also enjoys sports and outdoor activity. In addition to playing soccer and basketball, she loves hiking, biking, and sledding with her family. Doug Averill with kids NOAH CLAYTON

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