Luke’s Favorite Snowy Owl Comes to Life During Ace Hardware’s Miracle Bucket Days
Seeing Luke interact with customers and watching the community rally around him was incredibly special.”— Jennifer
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HELENA, MT, UNITED STATES, August 25, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Montana Ace Hardware teams brought creativity, community spirit and heart to this year’s Miracle Bucket Days, raising an incredible $21,527.46 for Shodair Children’s Hospital, Montana’s Children’s Miracle Network hospital. The total represents a significant increase over 2025, continuing a strong partnership dedicated to supporting Montana children and families.
One of the campaign’s most memorable moments took place at Owenhouse Ace Hardware, where the team created a giant snowy owl in honor of Luke, Montana’s 2026 Children’s Miracle Network Champion Child, and his favorite stuffed animal.
When Luke visited the store during Miracle Bucket Days, he got to see the display created especially for him and help the team sell Miracle Buckets to customers. With his infectious enthusiasm, Luke greeted shoppers and encouraged them to support Montana kids, quickly winning hearts throughout the store.
One especially touching moment came when a customer who purchased a Miracle Bucket from Luke shared that he had brought his two dogs with her. When Luke saw the dogs, he lit up with excitement. Watching his genuine joy, the customer became emotional — a small moment that captured the heart of the campaign: connection, kindness and the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children and families.
“Seeing Luke interact with customers and watching the community rally around him was incredibly special,” said Jennifer, Luke’s mom. “The snowy owl display was a beautiful tribute to Luke, but the real magic was seeing people connect with him and understand the difference their support can make for Montana kids.”
Luke’s visit was just one example of the creativity and enthusiasm Montana Ace teams brought to Miracle Bucket Days. Stores across the state found unique ways to engage customers and bring attention to the children behind the campaign.
As part of this year’s Bucket Days contest, Owenhouse Ace West led Montana in Miracle Bucket sales, selling an impressive 809 buckets from August 7–9. Florence Ace was recognized for its creative display, while Owenhouse Downtown earned recognition for its interactive customer experience. Hamilton Ace also received an honorable mention for its creative bucket design.
Together, Montana Ace teams raised more than $21,000 to help support children and families receiving care at Shodair.
Shodair extends a heartfelt thank-you to every Ace Hardware location, associate, customer and supporter who participated. Every bucket purchased, donation made and conversation started helps provide hope and support to Montana kids.
And the opportunity to give continues beyond Bucket Days. Round-Up is available at the register year-round, allowing Ace customers to continue supporting Shodair and Montana children throughout the year.
From a giant snowy owl to a Champion Child selling buckets and connecting with customers, this year’s campaign was a powerful reminder that when communities come together, even small moments can create a lasting impact.
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About Shodair Children’s Hospital
Since 1896, Shodair Children’s Hospital has served Montana’s most vulnerable residents, evolving to meet the state’s changing needs. Today, Shodair offers a wide range of services, including acute, residential, and outpatient psychiatric care for children (ages 3–18), an accredited school for those in care, and the state’s only comprehensive medical genetics program, serving individuals of all ages. As Montana’s only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, Shodair serves children from all 56 counties, with many patients receiving Medicaid assistance. Shodair is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the mental health and well-being of Montana families. For more information, visit Shodair.org.
Stella Adamczak
Shodair Childrens Hospital
+1 406-441-1682
sadamczak@shodair.org
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