Wine taste raises $137K for Hospice of North Idaho
<p>Brenda Wild, chair of the Hospice of North Idaho wine taste fundraiser, left, and Kim Ransier, executive director of the nonprofit, center, pose Saturday with Coeur d'Alene Press Publisher Jim Thompson at the Hayden Lake Country Club. Thompson accepted a "distinguished sponsor" award on behalf of The Press. The event raised more than $137,000 for the nonprofit.</p>
HAYDEN - Hospice of North Idaho raised more than $137,000 Saturday night at its 29th Annual Hospice "That's Amore" Wine Taste and Auction fundraiser at the Hayden Lake Country Club.
The black-tie event was sold out this year.
"It was a spectacular evening," said the organization's executive director, Kim Ransier. "People were in great spirits and opened their hearts up to Hospice of North Idaho."
In addition to the large selection of fine wines to taste at the Saturday evening event, food was donated by catering sponsors: the Coeur d'Alene Casino, Pastry and More, Pilgrim's Market, Coeur d'Alene Chocolates, Greenbriar Catering, Seasons of Coeur d'Alene, The Cellar, and Hospice House.
Gold sponsors of the event included Polin and Young Construction, Mountain West Bank, The Dinner Party Shop, CB Creative, Thorco Electrical Construction, The Hayden Lake Country Club, and The Coeur d'Alene Press, which was honored with a "Distinguished Sponsor" award during the program.
"The Coeur d'Alene Press is one of the longest-standing sponsors of the Hospice Wine Taste, going back many years," said Ransier.
Among the highest-selling auction items was a trip for four to Sonoma Valley to visit B.R. Cohn Winery and attend the B.R. Cohn Fall Charity Music Festival as VIP guests. That item was donated by winery owner Bruce Cohn, who is also the manager of the Doobie Brothers.
Other highlights of the evening included the drawing of the grand prize raffle, a seven-day trip to Tuscany, Italy, for two people, which was sponsored by the HONI Board of Directors.
Proceeds of the event will go directly toward patient care for those lacking the ability to pay for hospice services, by deferring the cost of medications, medical equipment, stays at the Hospice House, and visits with physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and grief counselors.
Hospice of North Idaho is the area's only local nonprofit hospice. It is through the support of the community and events like the Hospice Wine Taste, HONI's largest annual fundraiser, that HONI continues to carry out its mission of providing superior hospice care to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay.
More than 200 donors contributed items to the silent and live auctions, and many volunteered their time to put the event together. Other sponsors of the event included elite silver sponsor, Kootenai Imaging, and Silver Sponsors Specialty Tree, Bellevue Healthcare, Parker Toyota, Paine Hamblen, LLP, The Medicine Man Pharmacy, Architects West, Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty, and Beck Cabinet Company. Bronze Sponsors were Groundforce Manufacturing, Creekside Assisted Living, and Avista.