Harrison’s Community “Magic”
Submitted by Brenda K. Baker
Since I was a little girl, I have loved stories of people helping one another, being heroes or doing something special for a stranger. Growing up in Bozeman, I was witness to many people helping others whenever a need arose. However, that was 35-plus years ago. One doesn’t have to drive very far to see that Bozeman is not the town it once was. This is the reason Bozeman has lost its charm for me. Being new to Harrison, I could never have guessed this community would be any different from Bozeman. The scenery is different and it is peaceful out here, but I figured the attitude would be the same. I was certainly wrong.
Reading through the school newsletter one day, I noticed a fundraiser was happening, on Jan. 18 during the basketball games. I love to watch people work together on projects, so I decided to see if I could help. This particular fundraiser was for the Contreras family. One night in early December, Mr. Contreras was driving along and hit an Angus bull, who had escaped the safety of the fence and wandered into the road. Not only was the car severely damaged, but Mr. Contreras had to be life-flighted to Bozeman due to the seriousness of his injuries.
In my life, I have been a part of many fundraisers, and what I have seen is a few people do a mountain of work. Not the case with this one. In fact, it was hard to nail down just who spearheaded this mission because so many were involved. What I enjoyed hearing was just how much this small town bands together on all sorts of different projects.
The Contreras family has three kids in the Harrison school and the staff learned about the father’s accident right away. The staff was eager to help this family, and several began brainstorming ideas for a fundraiser. The fundraiser dinner was suggested at the staff meeting and, with a resounding “yes,” the crew set to work. Amid finals week, grading deadlines and kids changing classes for the upcoming quarter, the staff found a way to make time for this event.
Mrs. Jorgenson, Mrs. Buus, and Miss Christensen, to name a few, took the reins and planned out what would be on the menu, when it would happen and what help was needed. Once that was handled Doreen Young, the school secretary, put a notice in the school newsletter. This is where the “community magic” took place. The school had calls from all sorts of people wanting to donate auction items, although an auction wasn’t planned to take place at that point. Many offered ingredients for the fundraiser meal and some offered to help in various other ways and what started out as a staff-driven event, became a community project.
When I interviewed Mr. Hofman, the Harrison school administrator, he told me he had been offered other jobs over the past six years. When his colleagues ask why he stays in Harrison, he says “this tiny town, the way they step up and help each other, that’s why I stay. The people. You can’t put a price on that.” Charles Dickens once wrote in his book Doctor Marigold, “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” This point is accentuated, in my mind, in this small community. Every member is unique and valued whether they have been a long time resident or are brand new.
In the interview, Mr. Hofman went on to say, “The Contreras family just moved here in May, and we are one of the poorest districts in the state, yet this community does that.” This fundraiser brought in a whopping $5,645 for the Contreras family and it took place just a few months after several school fundraisers and a fundraiser for a beloved school cook, who found out she had breast cancer. Stories like this go to show, where there is love, big things get done. Living in this community and getting to know some of the people here has reminded me that the real heart of this country is in its small towns!
