Chicks n’ Chaps gives Beacon Cancer Care Foundation $10K boost

A benevolent bunch known for painting the fair pink bestowed a large gift upon a local cancer clinic on the eve of Christmas Eve.

Coeur d'Alene Chicks n' Chaps members presented a $10,000 check Dec. 23 to Beacon Clinic at the Coeur d'Alene location. The money will support the newly established Beacon Cancer Care Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping patients facing medical and financial challenges within the community. Funds will pay for groceries, gas, rent and other expenses those in treatment may otherwise not be able to afford.

“It’s been a huge Christmas blessing for us,” Beacon Clinic care coordinator Julie Durrant said.

The clinic was founded by Dr. David Bartels in 2018. Its specialties include medical oncology, radiation oncology, hematology and rheumatology.

Durrant said earlier this year, the patient count was about 5,500 being served at the clinic's locations in Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls. Beacon cares for people in Kootenai County as well as across North Idaho and into Washington and Montana.

Chicks n' Chaps Coeur d'Alene Chair Ann Siebert said including the Beacon donation and a recent $35,000 donation to Kootenai Health, the organization has raised nearly $500,000 to support the cancer community and the Fair Foundation since the group began 16 years ago as the Cowgirls at Heart all-women rodeo clinic.

“We were really involved with the fair at that time,” Siebert said. “We had a vision to just have a fundraising event that would support both the Fair Foundation and cancer, so that’s how it all started."

After many memorable events and years of working with sponsors and community members to support the Fair Foundation as well as cancer causes, the Coeur d'Alene Chicks n' Chaps has dedicated its resources to help meet the needs of cancer patients and their families.

"Now that we’ve separated from the fair and doing everything, they’re looking at doing other events since it’s all for cancer patients," Chicks n' Chaps committee member Karen Lynch said. "They’ve talked about golf tournaments, cornhole tournaments."

Chicks n' Chaps committee member and cancer survivor Crissy Schinmann said it's touching how tirelessly her colleagues work to make a difference.

“Everybody on this committee works so hard to bring awareness and education and funds, out of the goodness of their hearts," she said.

    Chicks n' Chaps Coeur d'Alene donated $10,000 to the Beacon Cancer Care Foundation on Monday to support patients as they go through cancer treatment. From left: Crissy Schinmann, Julie Durrant, Melanie Goularte, Karen Lynch, Dr. David Bartels and Ann Siebert.