Wrapped with generosity
<p>Brad Rowen, back left, and Jeanne Norton served as emcees during Saturday night's 24th annual Festival of Trees Gala fundraiser for Kootenai Health's neonatal services. Live auction spotters, front row from left, Dave Dupree, dressed as a rock star, Heather Dupree, a princess, and Brett Wingler, a juggler, assisted at the event at The Coeur d'Alene Resort.</p>
COEUR d’ALENE — Shawn Bassham calls it “awe-inspiring.”
That’s how the new Kootenai Health Foundation president described the 24th annual Festival of Trees, which concludes its fundraising run at The Coeur d’Alene Resort today.
Saturday night’s gala raised $188,000 to expand Kootenai Medical Center’s neonatal services and the total for the four-day run is expected to reach about $350,000.
“It’s stunning — not just the trees, but the people who come to support what Kootenai Health is doing,” said Bassham, who is getting her first festival experience as president.
In addition to the dinner and dance gala, the festival includes a senior social, fashion shows and viewings of 32 displays for the public. About 1,000 volunteers from ticket sellers to tree decorators to entertainers work on the event.
The festival’s final events — fashion shows today — are sold out.
The fundraising total this year will resemble the $360,557 raised last year for cardiac care. That amount was the third-highest in the first 23 years of the program.
The festival raised $4.4 million for Kootenai Health programs heading into this year’s event. The foundation has raised $26 million total since it started in 1983.
Outgoing foundation president Teri Farr, who is finishing up her 13th festival, was recognized at the gala by past chairman Ron McIntire.
“I feel I’ve been blessed to be able to connect with people who really care and want to make a difference with programs and the needs of the community,” Farr said. “That synergy has made a huge difference for our community.
“I’ve observed health care transform dramatically since I’ve been here. There’s been an additional cancer center and the development of a heart center that offers a full spectrum of services at Kootenai, and the foundation has been a contributor to all these advancements over the years.”
At the gala, 432 people attended, which surpassed last year’s 379. It was the highest-attended gala since 2007. In addition, the ticketed events sold out earlier this year than recent festivals, Farr said.
Last year Kootenai Health began developing a neonatal intensive care program with the help of neonatologists Priscilla Hancock and Kathleen Webb. Under their leadership, Kootenai has expanded its care of newborns to be able to meet the needs of babies that are up to 8 weeks premature.
Coeur d’Alene parents K.C. and Sarah McVey, whose premature twins Charlie and Gracie were born at Kootenai, said at the gala that they are thankful for Kootenai offering a local neonatal service and not having to have their children transported to another hospital when they were born.
“It was a great night for a great cause,” Farr said.