'They treat their community like their family'

COEUR d'ALENE — In a moment that moved hundreds of people to their feet in a standing ovation, it was announced Saturday evening that longtime Hayden Mayor Ron McIntire and his wife, Joanne, are donating $1 million to the Kootenai Health Foundation.

"You won't get a quote from me without me crying, maybe that's the quote," said Shawn Bassham, president of the foundation. "They treat their community like their family. There is nothing better than that."

The announcement came at the close of the 27th annual Festival of Trees Festival Gala, held in the convention bays of The Coeur d'Alene Resort. Bassham said the neonatal intensive care unit and labor and delivery will be named the "McIntire Family Birth Center" in honor of the McIntires.

"It's going to be absolutely beautiful," she said. "We can't wait for when we ribbon cut to show these beautiful walls so as people walk into it, it will show the McIntire Family Birth Center."

She said the McIntires have children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, "so if anybody gets family birth centers, they do."

"Having a baby with an Idaho birth certificate is wonderful," she said. "Those are some of the things they're investing in, is having your children where you live."

Ron, in a black and white tuxedo, said his family uses the hospital regularly.

"You just have to help where you can," he said.

The Festival Gala was attended by about 430 people, dressed to the nines in tuxes and gowns. It was a splendid evening of giving as attendees bid on spectacularly decorated Christmas trees and silent auction items. Many guests donated gifts of $500 or more during the special appeal paddle raise event. During the paddle raise, the McIntires pledged an additional $10,000.

"It's a special night for us to go out there and raise a lot of money for the hospital, for the patients of our community and for our community," said Mike Chapman, chairman of the Kootenai Health Foundation.

Chapman, who made the big announcement about the McIntire family's donation, said he remembered riding his bike to Ron's store and buying candy and soda when he was a boy.

"Ron and Joanne have been just such a huge part of our community," he said. "All of their generosity to this community has been great over all these years."

Another highlight of the evening was "Jack's Birthday Club," where a big-hearted young man, Jack Pierce, was recognized for starting a trend for his birthday — asking friends and loved ones for money instead of gifts so he could donate to the hospital because it is used by so many people he loves.

"We love his big heart because he thought really long and hard about it, and he thought about Kootenai Health," Bassham said.

The Festival of Trees annually takes place the weekend after Thanksgiving. In the past 27 years, the Festival has raised more than $5.5 million to directly impact patient care at Kootenai Health.

Kootenai Neurology Clinic referral coordinator DeeDee Koontz of Coeur d'Alene has been with Kootenai Health 25 years and won tickets to the Gala during a hospital benefit event. It was the first time she and her husband, Dave, attended the Gala.

"I love it, it's great, the dinner was fantastic," she said. "I think it's a great cause; anything that we do for Kootenai (Health) benefits the whole city."

"To understand where the money goes and how it builds our community hospital is fantastic," Dave said.