HELENA — What do classic cars, motocross, and the Lewis & Clark County Rural Fire District have in common? All three were featured at Top Gun Autobody’s open house on Saturday, September 28.

This marks the seventh year Top Gun Autobody has donated to a local nonprofit through its "Heroes of Helena" initiative. This year, the shop donated $5,000 to the Rural Fire Council.

Teddy Culbertson, owner of Top Gun Autobody, highlighted the importance of community involvement.

“We make a living in this town, and small business is the backbone of this community,” Culbertson said. “If we can give back and help keep this great community alive, it’s very important to me.”

Culbertson and his staff have donated to a different nonprofit each year, supporting various causes across Helena.

Community was the theme of the day, with hundreds of residents attending the open house. Adam, a representative of the Lewis and Clark County Rural Fire District, expressed his gratitude for the donation.

“It means everything,” Adam said. “We’re out there helping the community, and to have the community give back to us—it just means everything.”

The donation will be distributed among about 20 rural volunteer fire departments across the county, addressing the needs of departments that depend on community contributions to remain operational.

“Some departments in rural areas really need these donations,” Adam said. “Without a strong tax base, many rely on the community to keep their fire departments active.”

To learn more about Top Gun Autobody’s Heroes of Helena initiative, click here.