The bare bones about dinosaurs
Dinosaur bones will come to life for children who come to an afternoon workshop Saturday, Oct. 8, with Jack Horner in Kalispell.
That evening, their parents and anyone else can hear Horner in a dinner presentation by the world-famous paleontologist at the Outlaw Inn on U.S. 93 South in Kalispell.
The Dinosaur Day is a fund-raiser for the local chapter of Parents, Let's Unite for Kids, a Montana nonprofit that works for and with families of children with disabilities.
Getting Horner in Kalispell is a major coup for the local group.
The longtime curator of paleontology at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman drew a big crowd at a similar event for the statewide organization in Billings two years ago.
Horner, an honorary board member for the nonprofit organization and the model for paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg's "Jurassic Park," has a special spot in his heart for children, said Stephanie Luehr. She is the organization's Kalispell-based family support consultant for Northwest Montana.
The two-hour workshop will target youths ages 10 through 18.
It starts at 2 p.m. and will give children lots of face-to-face interaction with Horner and hands-on examination of dinosaur bones.
Luehr said the workshop, as of Wednesday, is only about half full, so there is plenty of room for more children. Parents who would prefer not to leave their children alone in the workshop are welcome to stay with them.
The cost is $25 a child, with a limited number of scholarships available.
Dinner is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Outlaw Inn. Horner is coming prepared with an educational slide show, and plans to meet the audience and offer great photo opportunities.
The cost of the dinner also is $25 apiece.
Horner, a regent's professor of paleontology at Montana State University in Bozeman, has given more than 700 lectures and has written hundreds of articles and books about dinosaurs in Montana.
He has plenty of honors to his name. Among them are the MacArthur Fellowship, an honorary doctorate degree, James H. Shea Award and the Ben Franklin Citizen Scientist Award.
And, besides being the model for the movie paleontologist, he served as a consultant for "Jurassic Park."
To register for the workshop or the dinner, call 1-800-222-7585. For more information, visit the organization's Web site, www.pluk.org.
All proceeds will support the work of Parents, Let's Unite for Kids in the local Flathead community.
Reporter Nancy Kimball can be reached at 758-4483 or by e-mail at nkimball@dailyinterlake.com.