Bigfork's license plate the focus of awareness campaign

Bigfork’s specialty license plate has produced more than $34,550 over the past seven years, but an awareness plan is in the works to let more people know about it.

The Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork and the Bigfork Area Chamber of Commerce split the proceeds from the plate. For calendar year 2012, they divided up some $7,000, said CFBB President Paul Mustascio. Car owners pay an extra $10 for the Bigfork plate.

The funds go to promote business in Bigfork along with various community goodwill projects through CFBB, including street sweeping, sidewalk installation, and scholarships, just to name a few.

CFBB is going forward with the awareness plan in the near future to build on the plate’s success.

Tara Hoveland came up with the idea for a Bigfork specialty plate when she found out that Whitefish had one.

“It’s been a great fundraiser,” she said. “It’s a great way for people to contribute by showing their pride and love for Bigfork. It’s super cute.”

Hoveland said that a lot of people don’t know the plate exists, and one needs to know about it when renewing one’s registration because there are so many specialty plates in Montana. If someone doesn’t know about the plate prior to heading to the Motor Vehicle Division, one likely won’t find out about the plate, she said.

“It’s a steady money-maker” for the chamber, Past President Gretchen Gates said. “We need to put some emphasis on it to keep it coming.”

There are currently 197 specialty plates in Montana.

Mustacio and Gates said proceeds from Bigfork’s specialty plate goes into their organizations’ general funds to support their myriad projects.