Schweitzer to host benefit dinner Saturday
The 10th annual 24 Hours of Schweitzer auction and awards dinner will be held in Sandpoint on March 24.
The event is held in honor of 11-year-old Hank Sturgis of Sandpoint — who has the rare, fatal disease cystinosis — and benefits 24 Hours for Hank, a Sandpoint foundation that has raised more than $1 million for cystinosis research and treatment.
Funds raised locally are contributed to the national Cystinosis Research Foundation to help find a cure for this extremely rare, genetic disease that slowly destroys every organ in the body including the kidneys, liver, eyes, muscles, thyroid and brain.
“What started with small beginnings as a way to raise money for a cure for Hank and others with cystinosis has grown bigger each year,” event organizer and Hank’s father Brian Sturgis said. “We have family, friends and community supporters in Sandpoint, Coeur d’Alene, Spokane and beyond to thank for our foundation’s growth into one of the largest cystinosis fundraisers in the nation.”
Dinner will feature Schweitzer’s chefs preparing food from around the world, including Japan, Ireland and Italy. Desserts will include huckleberry milkshakes, crème brulee and chocolate Irish biscuit cake.
More than 75 live and silent auction items will be available for bidding, including a slope-side condo for one week at Breckenridge, Colo.; Hawaiian vacation; Festival at Sandpoint tickets; Schweitzer season passes and summer progressive dinner party by boat.
Doors open at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 24 in the Caribou Room. The after-party will feature live music and be held in Taps Lounge at the conclusion of the auction from approximately 9:00 p.m. to midnight.
Space is still available at the all-day event — sponsored by Trask Britt, SimulStat Incorporated, Kochava and Horizon Pharmaceuticals — which is one of only four events like it in the country. Skiers, telemarkers and snowboarders of all ages and abilities raise pledges and ski or ride.
The entry fee is $125 plus $100 in pledges. The entry fee includes a lift ticket, event T-shirt, participation award, meals, equipment support, hotel discounts at Selkirk Lodge, and one ticket to the auction/awards party. Awards will recognize youngest and oldest participants as well as the top teams.
Tickets for the auction and dinner are $45 and can be purchased online at www.24hoursforhank.org. For more information or questions about the ski event, registration, purchasing dinner tickets or to make a donation, call 208-610-2131 or visit www.24hoursforhank.org or www.24hoursof schweitzer.com.