ADVERTISING: Advertorial — Once per year

It is hard for me to believe that I have been a member of the Board of Directors for Hospice of North Idaho for eight years. For Mary and I we have supported HONI for that time plus a year when we first got involved in the Hospice Wine Taste. This event happens only once per year and with the exception of last year’s COVID altered schedule the Wine Taste is always held on the first Saturday of February. This year that falls on Feb. 5 and it starts at 5 p.m. and will be returning to The Coeur d’Alene Resort, which the Hagadone Corporation so generously donates for the event.

I always talk of the extraordinary work Hospice does in the most challenging of circumstances and this year that is even more the case. Like the rest of society and especially all involved in health care the pandemic has made the day-to-day work of the HONI employees even more tough. At the height of the pandemic and again now the Schneidmiller Hospice House has had to make adjustments to accommodate COVID positive patients. They have experienced their own getting sick with the virus and leaving them short of caregivers and administrators at every level. They keep doing the work though with all of these additional challenges their compassion and care has never faltered.

With all the organization is up against they need our support, our community’s support as much or more than ever. Here is why. Beyond the recognition of their invaluable mission, think for a moment about those you care most about, those you are closest to, or even be a bit selfish and think about yourself. None of us often thinks about needing the held of Hospice of North Idaho for ourselves or our loved ones. You will likely not know in advance when you will need their care, but if you do it will be of great comfort, that they will be there to call on.

In every monthly Board of Directors meeting after we recite our mission statement there is a hospice story shared by our executive director Kim Ransier. Sometimes funny, at times sad and tearful, but every time they touch me to the core and make me proud to support this organization as a board member and from our work with the wine taste. So, when you are thinking about your schedule this coming Feb. 5 go buy a ticket to this wonderful event. The support you lend through participating will not only touch you, but it will also help ensure HONI is there if you ever need them.

Here is the other reason to go. It is an epic wine event and if you love wine, you will love this evening. This year eight of our great local distributor partners will be pouring more than 100 wines for you to taste. All of the wine is donated by the distributors and their winery partners. When you start your evening, you will get the program for the live and silent auctions and you will also get an order form with a full listing of the wines you can taste that night. The form includes pricing. At the end of the night, you turn in your order form and within a week or so we will have your wine ready for pickup at The Dinner Party.

Here's the best apart about your wine purchases, The Dinner Party donates all of the proceeds from your wine purchases back to Hospice of North Idaho. Even by buying wine you love that night you help this most worthy of organizations continue their mission of providing care and comfort to the seriously ill, and those touched by the loss of their loved ones.

This is your chance to not only taste some great wine but it is your once in a year’s time chance to lend support to the area’s only nonprofit Hospice and help support the only in-patient hospice facility in the entire state of Idaho. Do it now, buy the ticket and join us on Saturday, Feb. 5.

You can purchase tickets from the Hospice of North Idaho website at www.hospiceofnorthidaho.org. We hope to see you there.

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George Balling is co-owner with his wife, Mary Lancaster, of the dinner party, a wine and gift shop in Coeur d’Alene by Costco. The dinner party has won the award for best wine shop in North Idaho twice, including for 2018.

George is also published in several other publications around the country. After working in wineries in California and judging many wine competitions, he moved to Coeur d’Alene with Mary more than 10 years ago to open the shop.

You can also follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/#!/dinnerpartyshop.