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Plans begin for Festival of Trees;
hospital seeking to fund new van |
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October 9, 2014 |
by Marcia Morman
Community Relations Coordinator,
Boundary Community Hospital
For the eighteenth year, Boundary County
residents will be celebrating the Christmas
season with a gift to the community by
supporting the Festival of Trees. This year,
funds raised at the Festival of Trees go toward
the purchase of a 15-passenger van for Boundary
Community Hospital.
 Many
local people have major surgery at hospitals
outside Boundary County, then come back home to
Boundary Community Hospital for recuperation,
often including physical therapy. In many cases,
the hospital van is their only means of
transport. The hospital van is also used on a
regular basis for taking residents from the
Extended Care Facility to medical appointments
and social events.
The current van, purchased by Fry Healthcare
Foundation almost 16 years ago, needs to be
replaced. This is a major purchase. Last year,
the Board of Directors of Fry Healthcare
Foundation made a decision to designate funds
from their largest annual fundraiser, the
Festival of Trees, to replace the van.
Additionally, the funds from the 2014 Annual
Golf Tournament, almost $7,500, held last June
at Mirror Lake Golf Course, are helping with the
anticipated purchase. Given the funds already
raised at the Golf Tournament, the Fry
Healthcare Foundation is on track to complete
the van project at this year's Festival of
Trees.
In addition to Golf Tournament sponsorships, the
community raised money by purchasing entries in
the Great Golf Ball Drop. Life Flight Network
Helicopters donated a large screen SMART TV to
be given to the entrant of the Great Golf Ball
Drop whose golf ball rolled the closest to hole
#9. When the pre-numbered golf balls tumbled to
the ground and inched their way towards the
magic ninth hole, the crowd, who had just
finished a delicious steak dinner, was standing
on the deck of the golf course club house in
fervent anticipation of winning. The ecstatic
winner was Sherry Whitson, who had purchased her
ticket while on duty at Kootenai River Brewing
Company and Restaurant.
Now the 2014 Festival of Trees committee
volunteers are working toward
completing the fund for purchasing a needed new
van.
The Festival of Trees is open to the entire
community.
Family Night is Friday, December 12. All the
trees will be lit, musicians performing, and
Santa will be there for photos with all good
boys and girls.
Gala Night, the following night, on Saturday,
December 13, is for adults. Tickets to this fun
evening, which includes dinner and both a silent
and a live auction, are $35.
People leave Gala Night with valued treasures
including airplane tickets, tickets to regional
and national ball games, camping gear, decorated
trees, and more. Corporations, businesses of all
sizes, and individuals sponsor the event by
giving monetary gifts ranging from $100 to
$1500. Other friends give items for the auction.
Donations are now being collected. Call Linda
Hiatt, Fry Healthcare Foundation president at
(208) 267-4017, Teresa Rae, Festival of Trees
Chair (208) 946-6582, or Marcia Morman, at
Boundary Community Hospital, (208) 267-6912,
with donations.
Tickets are available at Riverside Auto,
Boundary Community Hospital in the patient
financial services office, online at
fryhealthcarefoundation.org, or by calling (208)
267-6922.
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