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For the past 10 years employees of Torrent Technologies have thrown down the gauntlet at the Glacier Challenge in Whitefish, a fundraiser supporting the Flathead Youth Home. The business also became a title sponsor for the event in 2014.

In this year’s Challenge held June 30, 30 teams competed in the multi-sport race involving running, biking, canoeing and kayaking and covering about 50 miles of varied terrain in and around Whitefish.

All proceeds from the annual event go to the Flathead Youth Home facility in Kalispell the provides a safe place for teens in crisis who would otherwise have nowhere else to go. The Home provides counseling, stabilization and group care sessions in a safe, nurturing environment. Teens can stay up to a year, attend their same schools and get together with family and friends if they choose.

The funds raised from the Glacier Challenge comprise about a third of the Home’s annual budget.

Torrent sent two seven-person teams this year for the combined gender race.

“Torrent believes in the mission of the Flathead Youth Home, and has been proud to both sponsor and participate in the Glacier Challenge since 2008,” said Mel Hodges, vice president of compliance at Torrent. “We look forward to this race every year — the event is a lot of fun and brings together members from all departments … It’s a fun day and supports a very worthy cause.”

Located in Kalispell and founded in 2005, Torrent is Marsh’s flood insurance subsidiary and the direct servicing agent for FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program. Torrent also opened a division in Overland Park, Kansas, last year and maintains a strong emphasis on employee volunteerism in both the communities where its employees live and work.

And one more thing … it bears mentioning that the Kalispell Motor Vehicle Department got a nod from one of the citizenry. Kalispell resident Poul Houlberg made the difficult decision to give up driving recently, after 70 years, due to health reasons. He wrote the Inter Lake just to say that “after a short wait, he was received a pleasant reception and efficiency of the employees that was a pleasure to witness.”

Hats off to you, too, Mr. Houlberg. Thank you for your strong sense of responsibility and courage to seek out alternative transportation.