Great Falls Optimist Club

Fall Festival

Each year, the Great Falls Optimist Club helps staff the Fall Festival for children, which is organized and sponsored by the Great Falls Friends on Halloween. Hill Signature Portraits is always on hand to take photographs, and donates all profits to the Great Falls Optimist Club. A haunted house, games and food make this a terrific event for the younger crowd.

For the last 14 years, Dan Smith and Jay Schulman of Hill Signature Portraits have spent Halloween in the Great Falls Village Centre getting costumed little (and sometimes “big”) creatures to smile.  “Our thought was to find a fun way to raise funds for the Great Falls Optimist Club.  The Optimists are all about bringing out the best in kids, so a kid oriented event that allowed us to share out talents was a perfect match” Schulman says.  “Now a traditional Halloween fixture” Smith commented “we are tickled by how many people say ‘we brought our baby here 14 years ago and have been coming every year since’ …the baby is now Harry Potter for this year’s photograph.  During the 14 years, Smith and Schulman have raised over $20,000 for the Optimist Club photographing little goblins – what could be more fun than that?”

             “We are always delighted to receive their very generous contribution,” said Optimist Club President Lisa Jackson. “These funds allow us to help hundreds of children and their families each year with everything from Thanksgiving meals to shoes to summer camp."