On behalf of the MSU Billings Foundation, welcome to this year’s Wine & Food Festival and thank you for joining us. We hope that you enjoy the gourmet food, fine wine, and great company, increase your knowledge of food and wine, are successful in your bidding for the unique and outstanding items that the Festival offers for your enjoyment, including world-class wines and wonderful travel, dining, and entertainment packages. And, of course, we hope you have fun.
We began the Festival in 1993 with two objectives in mind – raising funds for Montana State University Billings and providing a unique cultural event for our state of the highest possible quality. Over the years the Festival has become one of Montana’s premier cultural events, with fun for all involved – fun with a purpose that has resulted in raising over $3.5 million for the University’s students and programs administered by the MSU Billings Foundation.
Since its inception in 1967, the Foundation has secured millions of dollars to help many thousands of deserving students obtain a high-quality college education. The Foundation’s assets now exceed $19 million, most of which is invested in permanent endowments that provide annual scholarships for the University’s students and funds for its educational programs. The Foundation provides critical support to the University, especially in these challenging economic times in which public institutions are called upon to do more with less governmental funding. Your support of the Wine & Food Festival is a major factor in the Foundation’s success.
The Festival is made possible by many sponsors and volunteers who have generously given time, money, wine, food, goods and services. The Foundation thanks all of these sponsors and volunteers for their support.
Among the volunteers who are so important to the success of the Festival are the Wine & Food Festival Co-Chairs, Kay Berry and Joan Holbrook, who have devoted many months and untold hours to the Festival. We thank them very much for their service. We give thanks also to Jeanne Moller, the Foundation’s Development Officer, who begins working on each year’s Festival only a few weeks after the conclusion of the previous Festival. Jeanne coordinates all aspects of the Festival with the Chairs, volunteers and sponsors. Yes, it really takes a year to put the Festival together for your enjoyment.
The Foundation thanks you for your support of the Festival and the University. You are the most critical components of our success. We would not achieve our goals in supporting the University and its students without your willingness to participate in the Festival events, join in the auctions, and donate to our scholarships.
Thank you for coming to Wine & Food Festival 2011 and being a friend of MSU Billings. We hope you have a wonderful time as you join in a continuing legacy of support for higher education in Montana.
Joel E. Guthals
Chair, MSU Billings Foundation Board of Trustees