18th Annual Relay For Life

The Annual Relay For Life for Kootenai County was held at Greyhound Park and Event Center in Post Falls again this year. This is the 18th year for the Relay in Kootenai County. Over 150 survivors attended the Survivors' Dinner where they enjoyed a wonderful salmon dinner after completing the first lap of our event. A total of 67 teams made up of friends, families, businesses, churches and other non-profit organizations were in attendance.

Happily, this year and met and beat the goal of $100,000, not including many incredible sponsors adding another $40,000 to our total. Even the weather cooperated during the entire event in spite of the predictions of heavy rain!

The event itself was exciting and upbeat thanks in part to dedicated entertainment organizers, Ruby Frog Entertainment. Food and coffee vendors stayed all night providing energy the walkers needed to get through the night. There were a lot of games and goodies, the silent auction was busy all night. The Mr. Relay competition was hilarious, as usual.

Thanks go out to to all the incredible people and businesses that helped put on the amazing event. The Relay for Life's committee, sponsors, donors, team captains and survivors were amazing. Wrapping up the 2010 Relay For Life, all involved look forward to next year.

For more information on Relay For Life or to get involved, visit the website atwww.relayforlife.org/coeurdaleneid.

Midnight In Paris With Children's Village

It was Midnight in Paris at the Best Western Coeur d'Alene Inn on April 9 for the annual charity auction/banquet benefitting Children's Village and the children living there.

Over 160 people attended, bid on silent and live auction items, and enjoyed a wonderful meal and inspirational speakers. The crowd was introduced to a young lady who spent much of her youth at Children's Village and heard the story of how she has come back as an adult and is now working at the Village. This first hand example of how important Children's Village is touched every person in attendance.
Employee Sandy Lassen was noted for her 10 years at the Village as well as CV Foundation Board Member Jim Riley's 5 years of volunteering. Children's Village also presented Dick and Shirlee Wandrocke “The Golden Heart Award” for their service to community and especially for their years of service to Children’s Village.


In light of the economic times, the Village was most grateful for the donations and funds raised. They raised funds via their annual Pledge Program where donors pledge amounts of $10, $25, $50, $100, all the way up to $1000 a month. This has been very beneficial and allows the agency to have an idea of monthly donations in the planning process. Marla’s Gems participated with a special sale that culminated with a huge basket of Gems going to Jan Wheeler!

A final tally has not been made at the time of writing but the event was deemed a success and Children's Village thanks everyone who participated in this important fund raiser.

Children's Village is available 24/7 to help children in crisis or in danger and also assists parents in need of help trying to find resources. CV helps all children birth to eighteen and has the only Crisis Nursery accepting infants and toddlers in harms way at no charge to the family. The Village also has an accredited special needs school, CV Academy, for all grades.

Anyone wishing to help or learn more may check out the web site at www.thechildrensvillage.org or call 208-667-1189.

CASA's 4th Annual Ray of Hope Breakfast

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) held it's annual Ray of Hope Breakfast Thursday, April 8 at the Coeur d'Alene Resort with 290 people attending. The event benefits the FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT CASA PROGRAM, INC. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) are volunteers who advocate in court for children removed from their homes because of abuse and neglect.

Speakers for the morning included Anne & John Beutler of Century 21 Beutler & Associates (presenting sponsors), Toni Hackwith from Magnuson, McHugh & Company (presenting sponsors), CASA Executive Director Judy Morbeck, ASA Volunteer K.J. Torgerson, attorney Fonda Jovick and CASA Board President Laurie Thomas.

The program highlighted the continued work of CASA and it's many volunteers along with the past, present and expected need for protection of area youth caught in situations beyond their control. Sadly, in today's society there are many children who may fall between the cracks of justice without the assistance of CASA.

Director Morbeck happily reported that over $55,000 was raised to continue CASA's efforts and she had heartfelt thanks for the many contributors.

For more information about CASA, becoming a CASA volunteer or to donate to CASA, go to: www.northidahocasa.com or by calling 208-667-9165 or visiting them at 206 E. Indiana, Ste. 208 in Coeur d'Alene.

The Great Northwest Paper Airplane Contest

The First Annual Great Northwest Paper Airplane Contest at the CdA Resort Plaza on March 22 drew over 150 paper pilots. It was a fundraiser for Art on the Edge, a youth arts organization under the St. Vincent de Paul umbrella.



The Plaza was turned into a virtual airport with control tower, runway and helicopter landing pad. There was a main room where entrants could build their planes using the supplied paper, tape, glue and paper clips. Numerous styles of planes were constructed by all ages. Entries were broken into 4 age groups and 4 categories, distance, time aloft, entertainment and design.



No report on funds raised for Art on the Edge but considering the fun value of the event, we hope this becomes an annual and increasingly popular occurrence. Proceeds went to the continued funding of art programs open to the area's youth. Art on the Edge programs are open to kids 6-18 and offer after school programs, summer programs and are involved with public art and community art festivals. Founded in 1994, AOTE has worked with over 3,000 children.

The Return of Activity

We know, it's been a few months since this blog was updated. But we are back on the job and will keep you posted on who's been raising funds for what.

Just in the last couple weeks there events for St. Vincent de Paul, Children's Village and the EXCEL Foundation to name a few.

Communities are build by the citizens who stand up and participate to make it a better place. North Idaho is blessed with many people involved in many organizations that help a great many people in a great number of ways. Great!

Stay tuned. We'll keep you up to date.

If you are a member of an organization that has a fundraiser planned, please drop us a line so we can help get the word out.

calendar@nifamily.com

Going to the Dogs

There were 150 two-legged participants accompanied by 170 four-legged friends for the annual AJ Tails and Trails 5k event on the Prairie Trail in Coeur d'Alene. $12,000 was raised for the Kootenai Humane Society and veterinary costs for homeless, abandoned and abused dogs and cats.

Champagne, Chocolate, Cheesecake and Cabernet!

Soroptomists and Women's Center, Inc. join forces to provide for women and children in need.

An estimated crowd of over 300 attended the annual 4C's event held at the Riverstone retail location Saturday May 16. Raffle tickets for wine trees and a spin in a red Ferrari (donated by PhonesPlus and won by Dr. Don Schmitt) along with live and silent auction items were part of the festivities. The casual atmosphere was enhanced by the beach party theme as well as the fun and creative themed auction packages. A patio scene complete with furniture, rugs, candles, plants and serving dishes and a child's tea party including table and chairs, dishes, dolls, toys and linens were among them.

(top Sue Welch places a bid; below Soroptomist Peggy Miller explains live auction process to Corey Violette and Bea Conley.)

Spring Community Food Drive

The Post Falls Community Spring Food Drive ran April 1 to May 2 and the numbers were record-breaking!
"Prairie Pig" Spirit Week - 4,407 lbs
School Challenge - 15,509 lbs
Hayden Academy - 1,246 lbs
Friday Super One site - 1,768 lbs
Saturday - Trading Co site - 18,860 lbs
Corporate Challenge - 2,338 lbs
Sysco Food Show - 13,000 lbs
The total was 57,128 pounds of food and $2961.37 in financial donations for the Post Falls Food Bank!

Wine, Stein & Dine

It was the lucky 13th year for the Post Falls Education Foundation's signature fundraising event on March 7. Dozens of local restaurants, wineries and brewers donate their products to make for a unique evening of wining and dining for several hundred people at the Greyhound Park Event Center on the first Saturday of every March. A high quality silent auction raises additional funds. The beneficiaries of the event are the classrooms of School District 273, which in the past 12 years have directly received over $275,000 in grants. We give the PFEA an A+! *This fundraising event appeared on the North Idaho Community Charitable Events Calendar!

Feeling the Luv

Coeur d’Alene’s two Dutch Bros. Coffee drive-thru locations collected 1,861 lbs. of food for the Community Action Partnership Food Bank during its Feb. 13 and 14, “Dutch Luv Days” Cans for Coffee drive. Customers received a free drink of their choice with a donation of three canned goods or nonperishable food items, which are now being distributed throughout the community through the food bank’s various outreach programs.
*This fundraising event appeared on the North Idaho Community Charitable Events Calendar!

Art for little library users

The Coeur d'Alene Library is fundraising to complete the Beaver Lodge and Enchanted Forest Mural in the children's section of the library. Artists are Allen and Mary Dee Dodge.

Your gift of just $100 will go directly toward sponsorship of this original and unique piece of functional art which will be used and enjoyed by generations of children and families.
Please make your check out to: CdA Public Library Foundation and mail to: Ruth Pratt, 702 E. Front Avenue, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.

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