Livingston Loves LTown Soup!
Last week's LTown Soup proved to be something truly special. We came together, ate delicious soup, and witnessed the incredible power of this community – and were completely blown away!
We knew you all were generous, but you surpassed all expectations. Not only did we hit our initial aspirational $8,000 goal, which included a $4,000 matching challenge from AMB West Community Fund, but your overwhelming support unlocked FOUR EXTRA WINNERS! About 140 audience members turned up and together we raised a grand total of $13,000! That's right, SEVEN amazing local projects are now funded, thanks to your collective generosity and votes!
The way everyone came together to support each other, to make these amazing locally driven projects come to life, was truly inspiring. Seeing the Shane Center ballroom filled with all of our neighbors listening intently to each other's visions was a testament to the power of grassroots initiatives like LTown Soup.
We're beyond thrilled to announce our SEVEN winners:
1st Place: $5,000 - Yellowstone Farmstead: Will expand their agritourism destination, growing fresh produce, hosting farm-to-table dinners, and providing educational opportunities. Funds will support irrigation upgrades, seeds, tools, and seasonal farm hand housing. Contact Shugabeet@gmail.com for more info.
2nd Place: $3,000 - Pride in Action Building a Stronger Certified Future: Will use funds to become a certified non-profit, expanding outreach and support for the LGBTQIA2S+ population, and access professional services for sustainability. Contact livingstonpridecoalition@gmail.com for more info.
3rd Place: $2,000 - Studio49 - Collaborative Community Studio: Will build out additional arts, crafts, and technology "stations" in their community studio, providing tools and materials for self-guided learning and making. Contact allison@vicenzi.org for more info.
4th Place: $1,000 - Park County Community Band: Will use funds for sheet music, venue rental, marketing, and director wages, bringing together musicians of all ages for community performances. Contact yellowstonemusicgroup@gmail.com for more info.
5th Place: $1,000 - Park Does the Painting: Will transform Sacagawea Park's bathrooms with a community art project, creating a public paint-by-number mural. Contact artisticfox7@gmail.com for more info.
6th Place: $500 - Grow Getters!: Will enhance their middle school aquaponics system with parts and education, fostering hands-on learning. Contact victoria.clark@livingston.k12.mt.us for more info.
7th Place: $500 - Guided Wild Forest School: Will purchase class sets of rain and snow gear, ensuring every preschooler can fully participate in their year-round, outdoor, nature based education. (Added after the event thanks to some late donations that didn’t get tallied.) Contact andrea@guidedwild.com for more info.
Last week's LTown Soup wasn't just about the numbers. It was about connection, collaboration, and seeing the heart of Park County shine. We watched passionate community members of all ages pitch their dreams, and our phenomenal community voted with their hearts and wallets.
While only 7/10 projects are taking home official prize money, others received direct donations, new volunteers and a platform to share ideas. We hope that LTown Soup is a spark that gives these projects momentum and the community connections continue through further learning and engagement.
Please reach out to project contacts to learn more and consider donating, volunteering and supporting all 10 projects and these awesome members of our community. They are the dreamers, weavers, artists, builders, visionaries, caretakers and glue that makes us who we all are!
Here are the other three projects that we encourage you to support:
sPark Community Storytelling Project: Accessible opportunities for locals to participate in storytelling workshops and shows, co-produced with county nonprofits. The Tumbleweed Queen draws on over a decade of experience to foster first-person storytelling that builds community, connection, and understanding. Contact: Bexfrucht@gmail.com for more info.
Open Studios Hub: A free, interactive space at the Livingston Farmer's Market where families and youth can explore art, engage in hands-on crafting, and connect with community resources. Featuring local artists, rotating creative projects, and access to mental health and youth programs, it fosters artistic expression, learning, and community connection. Contact: Ozmentart@gmail.com for more info.
HomeGrown Sessions: Intimate live performances where artists connect with small audiences while receiving professional video and audio documentation. With just 25-30 audience members, these events create an environment where genuine musical moments can flourish. Contact: jamey@jameywarren.com for more info.
Watch this space as we will be updating the website, providing presentation clips, more photos and updates through out the year.
A massive, heartfelt THANK YOU to all the presenters – their passion, commitment, and vision made the night so special. And to everyone who donated, the L-town Soup crew (shoutout to Jo, Alecia, Bethany, Michael, Max, Nick, Rhiana, Erick, Spencer, Anders, and the Park High Green Initiative), and all the participants – you are the heart and soul of L-Town Soup!
We also want to give a HUGE shout-out AGAIN to our incredible sponsors: Soundcolor Studios, AMB West Community Fund, Neptune's Brewery, FoodWorks, Happy Trash Can, and The Shane Center. We couldn’t have done it without them!
After hosting successful Soups in 2017-2019, we are excited to say that the 2025 relaunch was a success and we look forward to doing it again in 2026. Stay tuned for project updates and more amazing photos taken by Nick Mott.
Thank you again for proving that, in uncertain times, we can still come together, support one another, and make amazing things happen!