Operation Holiday

Last year, an "operation" swept the Gallatin Valley and donated clothing and toys to over 1,000 children. These donated gifts were provided to children and families facing difficult financial and personal circumstances. Although they may not have changed the situation of any families, they were responsible for dazzling holiday joy. 

Of course, this is Operation Holiday. Spearheaded by children in our community and organized by two parents, Lindsay Gallinger and Christy Kroos, Operation Holiday started by helping 300 children in Gallatin Valley who had requested help. Since its inception, Operation Holiday has grown to help more than a thousand children as of last year. 

According to Gallinger, an organizer and founder, Operation Holiday is, "all about spreading kindness and holiday cheer while reminding our community of the power of giving. Operation Holiday has always had a dual mission: spreading kindness and fostering a 'kids helping kids' spirit. We’ve always focused on bringing holiday joy to children in need across the Gallatin Valley. Last year, we truly leaned into our second mission, empowering young people to participate in the magic."

“It’s crazy how much good this does. I get teary whenever I see all these kids helping other kids… It’s beautiful, said Gallagher.

Last year, Gallatin students made up a significant portion of the volunteers for Operation Holiday. Our school's involvement is largely because of Coach Clark, who helped organize the participation of many of our school's sports teams. 

"Last year, Gallatin High School made a big splash with all their teams stepping up under the leadership of Coach Matt Clark,” Gallinger said. “Matt Clark though has just done some much for us and has always wanted to help us out, especially when getting students involved.”

This year dozens of athletes from Gallatin joined up on Operation Holiday. Among them were members of the Football, Volleyball, basketball, Crosscountry, and Golf just to name a few.

 “They truly embraced the opportunity, and their enthusiasm made a huge difference. We're excited to see their continued involvement and hope to inspire even more schools, teams, and groups across the valley to join us this year.”

As for next year, Operation Holiday is fired up! "We're always looking for passionate individuals and organizations to help make a difference, and we'd love for you to join us in spreading holiday cheer next season!" said Gallinger.

For two years now, GHS has participated in Operation Holiday, and based on this year's participation, our zeal for spreading joy and holiday cheer is as strong as ever!