JUNE 2023 News Brief
Grants Spotlight
North Blaine County Fire Station
2023 Grantee North Blaine County First District has already put the funds from their $20,000 grant to use! A groundbreaking celebration for the construction of first responder housing at the Greenhorn Fire Station located at East Fork Road and Highway 75 took place on 6/7. Many supporters gathered under the threat of thunderstorms to acknowledge the dedication, hard work, and collaboration that has taken place over the last three years to bring this project to life.
Jed Gray, Chairman of the North Blaine County Fire District, spoke passionately to the attendees about his excitement for this project. He explained that when several local entities cooperate to house our first responders, the entire community benefits. This collaboration stretches far and wide; for example, the North Blaine County Fire Station is working with the Idaho Transportation Department to lease the land, the Spur Foundation is serving as a repository for fundraised dollars, and organizations like WRWF have contributed financially to the project.
While a significant sum has been raised towards the project goal of $3.2 million, they are still approximately $1 million short of the goal. As more money is raised, rent rates for the first responders living in the units will decrease. Affordable housing is a persistent problem that affects individuals from all walks of life, including our courageous first responders. Helping to alleviate some of this pressure by providing a total of eight affordable housing units at the Greenhorn Fire Station location will allow these men and women to live within the areas of our community that they are committed to serving.
Please read more about this fabulous project in articles from Eye on Sun Valley and Idaho Mountain Express and look out for progress updates!
Grantees in the News
Environmental Resource Center
Kristin Marlar-Gearhart 
The WRWF Governance Committee (GC) is a standing committee of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. Our work strengthens the organization by providing oversight of governance documents and supporting the leadership of other working committees on issues of governance, policy, and compliance. Our major responsibilities include serving as the in-house experts on the WRWF Articles and Bylaws, ensuring our activities are in compliance with our governing documents, periodically reviewing key operational policies, maintaining committee charters, and designing Board effectiveness and training materials. The Governance Committee also plays a key role in presiding over the WRWF Annual Meeting and election of new Board members. Be on the lookout for information about the upcoming 2023 Annual Meeting on August 2!
The WRWF Board President appoints the Governance chair, who serves until a successor has been appointed. Jeannie Shroads is the current Chair of the GC following in the footsteps of Gail Landis. Jeannie joined the WRWF in 2021. She has many years of experience providing guidance to board leaders and organizations as a corporate attorney.
The GC is an exceptional committee that benefits from the collective expertise of its members. The Committee includes Gail Landis, Marcia Liebich, Esther Ochsman, Kathy Edwards, Leslie Mitchell, Sandy McCullough, WRWF President (serving the GC ex officio).
Please join us in this very important work. We meet three or four times throughout the year and would happily welcome any new members with an interest in governance and supporting the effectiveness of the WRWF! Please contact Jeannie Shroads at Jeannie.shroads@gmail.com for additional information.
To everyone who participated in our recent WRWF all-member survey – thank you! We hit an all-time response high of 66%. The goal of the survey was to continue to deepen our understanding of our members, to hear your voices on what is compelling for you in terms of our mission, and to further learn what we can improve on as your leadership team to ensure everyone has the opportunity to experience the benefits of being a member of our collective giving circle.
An email with survey highlights will be coming to your inbox soon. Here are some teasers of what you will see:
Again, thank you to everyone who participated in the survey; we are grateful for all you do to make our volunteer organization thrive! And most of all, thank you to all members for caring about the Wood River Valley community and making a positive impact through your membership. It truly takes a village, and WRWF plays a significant role in making a positive difference in the lives of our village.
Karissa Price Rico, Communications Committee Chair
& The Board of Directors
Calendar
Date: August 2nd
Time: 4:00-6:00 pm
Location: WRWF Board Member’s home in Elkhorn.
Date: August 23
Time: 3:00-5:00 pm
Location: hosted by the President’s Council
Date: November 5-7
novemberUPCOMING EVENTS
The Member ‘Tini
Please join us in celebrating our members and our success at the annual Member ‘Tini! Hosted by The Foundation and the WRWF President’s Council, The Member ‘Tini will take place on Friday, June 30th from 4:00-6:00 pm at the home of
Barbara Thrasher – 104 Defiance, Elkhorn.
The theme is Lemon Drops & Pearls!
Please RSVP by June 25th via our website or the email invitation.
Since attendance is limited, we invite members to bring only one guest.
Please join us for the WRWF signature celebratory event –
The Annual Meeting – Wednesday, August 2nd from 4:00-6:00 pm.
The planning team is excited to bring you a new look, location and time this year – with the same mission-focused fun!
We will gather at the home of a WRWF Board Member in Elkhorn.
Please look forward to…
* Delicious appetizers from The Haven
* Plenty of Prosecco
* 2023 grant recipients
* Fun photo scavenger hunt to foster new connections
* Plus a few more, yet-to-be-confirmed speaker and music surprises
RSVP details will be available in July – Thank you!
Event Recap
L-R: Karen de Saint Phalle, Heidi Marcus, Lisa Mayer, Dianne Tibbs Johnson, Krista Felton, Pam Colesworthy We gathered on 5/25 for a special spring Meet & Mingle. Laura Rose-Lewis, Executive Director of I Have a Dream Foundation – Idaho (IHDF), graciously invited our WRWF members and other grantee guests to her home. Attendees had the chance to mingle before Laura spoke to the group about IHDF. She expressed her sincere gratitude for the longtime support that WRWF has provided for the organization and emphasized the impact it has had over the years.
Girls on the Run 5K Field Trip! 
We are happy to welcome new member Joy Prudek. Here she shares a bit about herself:
I started coming to Sun Valley in 1995 to enjoy the summers, including the summer ice skating program. I fell in love with the area and moved here in 1998, leaving New York City and a career on Wall Street. I am the Public Relations Manager at St Luke’s Wood River Medical Center, where I have worked since January of 2015. Prior to joining St. Luke’s, I worked in economic development and owned a wine bar/art gallery.
One of the reasons I love living here is the sense of community and that people take care of each other, even if they don’t know each other. I have served on numerous not-for-profit boards in the Valley, am impressed by the WRWF and the significant impact you all have on this community. I look forward to getting to know more of you and more about the organization!
I enjoy ice dancing, skiing, hiking, the arts, food, wine and spending time with friends, family, my wonderful husband Jack and our chocolate lab, Bailey!
new members
We are delighted to extend a warm WRWF welcome to new members who recently joined!
Amy Albright
Andrea Rifkin
New WRWF members are invited to provide photos and a bit of information about themselves to share in the News Brief. We have so many interesting members and it is fun to read about everyone’s background. Thanks so much and we look forward to meeting you soon. Welcome!
Welcome!
Member Call to Action
We have seen a great deal of progress recently in our impact across our channels! Your social media team is calling everyone at WRWF to share our post content about members, grantees, and events via Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Re-sharing our posts will further our mission of increasing visibility, reach, and engagement. If you have questions or need any assistance with re-sharing our posts, please contact Rebecca Ybarra Palma at rebeccapalma01@gmail.com
Please help us connect with our community even more!
in memorium
With deep sympathy and gratitude for her generosity,
we honor the passing of former Board Member
Margery Gail Friedlander
February 2, 1937 — June 13, 2023
An obituary with more information about her life and
philanthropic involvement can be found here.
THANK YOU, sponsors!
THANK YOU TO OUR contributors
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