January 2025 News Brief

President’s message

Dear WRWF friends,

Jeannie Shroads| Wood River Womens Foundation"| Sun Valley IdahoI am so happy to share with you my first President’s Message! Thank you for such a warm welcome at our Annual Members Meeting and Grantee Celebration on August 8. The business of electing leaders at our annual meeting is important, but celebrating WRWF accomplishments, our members, and our amazing grantees provide the true joy of the meeting.

Speaking of the Annual Meeting, we have many people to thank for such a lovely event. Many thanks to Jori Potiker for graciously hosting us, to Jenni Riley, Kathleen Eder and Toni Damalas and everyone on the Membership Committee for all the planning, all our grantee attendees for their inspiration, and to Board member Karissa Price-Rico for reminding us to cultivate a sense of purpose in all our work. As always, our volunteer work would not be possible without the dedication and positive attitude of WRWF staff members Noe Garing and Lindsey Larrivee!

You will be hearing more from us in the coming months about our plans for 2025. We are already laying the groundwork for another successful Grants Season and thinking about how to celebrate the 20 th anniversary of the Foundation. It’s a great year to get involved!

As I write my message the Wapiti fire continues to threaten Stanley. Please consider extending your philanthropy and generosity to our neighbors up north. A GoFundMe has been established for the all-volunteer Sawtooth Valley Rural Fire Department to support Stanley firefighters and their families, many of whom have been displaced because of the fire. You can support them by visiting https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-stanley-fire-and-stanley-ambulance-volunteers or mailing donations to PO Box 29, Stanley, Idaho 83278. WRWF supports your bravery and commitment; please stay safe out there.

With gratitude and joy,
Jeannie

Grantee Spotlight

Trailing of the sheep festival 2024

The Wood River Valley was gifted another incredible year of celebrating part of our valley heritage with the running of the sheep through our towns the first weekend of October. This year’s festival included:

  • Three Farm to Table Lamb Dinners featuring Idaho Ranchers and their lamb
  • Five Cooking with Lamb Classes and one Cheese Making Class
  • Sheep Tales Gathering Event – The Future of Conservation in a Crowded West
  • For the Love of Lamb Dine-Around with 11 locations – 5,500 bites!
  • Free experiences including Sheep Ranching Q&A with Idaho Ranchers and Friends and the History of Sheepherding in the Wood River Valley
  • Free Sheep Folklife Fair with Craft Vendors, Kids’ Fluff, Sheep Shearing Demonstrations, Six Food Vendors, Sheep Camps, Music and Dance from The Boise Highlanders, Oinkari Basque Dancers, Peruvian Dancers and Musicians, and the Siumni Polish Highlander Folk Ensemble
  • Two and a half days of the National Point Qualifying Sheepdog Trials
  • 20+ Wool Fest Classes
  • FREE Happy Trails Closing Party with vendors, food and drink and music from Cindy and Gary Braun and the Kim Stocking Band
  • Big Sheep Parade with 1,200 sheep, sheep camps and team, and cultural performers making their way down Main Street, Ketchum.
  • The American Lamb Board hosted a group of Lambassadors—a talented mix of chefs, influencers, and recipe developers

Festival founder, local rancher, former Idaho State Senator and family-man, John Peavey, passed on Sunday, June 16, 2024. With his wife Diane, he was an icon of the Sun Valley community, loved his sheep and his ranch and educated so many about the animals and the land. All this while sharing moving, funny and inspirational stories with all who listened. As a tribute to John, the Trailing of the Sheep Festival has launched The John Peavey Legacy Fund. Donations received for this Fund will be used to support an annual scholarship, as well as John’s legacy to carry out the Festival’s mission to gather, celebrate, present, and preserve the history and cultures of sheepherding in Idaho and the West. A Celebration of Life for John – with standing room only – was held during the Festival on Saturday, October 5, 2024.

Annual estimate for the total Festival is 25,000 people with a nearly $7.6 million impact on the local economy (last economic development report was conducted by Sun Valley Economic Development in 2023).

On the Festival maps that were located at the Sheepdog Trials, HQ, Happy Trails Closing Party and Fair, guests “pinned” themselves as being from 46 states and multiple foreign countries in 2024.

The 2025 Festival is slated for October 8-12.

The Wood River Valley was gifted another incredible year of celebrating part of our valley heritage with the running of the sheep through our towns the first weekend of October. This year’s festival included:

  • Three Farm to Table Lamb Dinners featuring Idaho Ranchers and their lamb
  • Five Cooking with Lamb Classes and one Cheese Making Class
  • Sheep Tales Gathering Event – The Future of Conservation in a Crowded West
  • For the Love of Lamb Dine-Around with 11 locations – 5,500 bites!
  • Free experiences including Sheep Ranching Q&A with Idaho Ranchers and Friends and the History of Sheepherding in the Wood River Valley
  • Free Sheep Folklife Fair with Craft Vendors, Kids’ Fluff, Sheep Shearing Demonstrations, Six Food Vendors, Sheep Camps, Music and Dance from The Boise Highlanders, Oinkari Basque Dancers, Peruvian Dancers and Musicians, and the Siumni Polish Highlander Folk Ensemble
  • Two and a half days of the National Point Qualifying Sheepdog Trials
  • 20+ Wool Fest Classes
  • FREE Happy Trails Closing Party with vendors, food and drink and music from Cindy and Gary Braun and the Kim Stocking Band
  • Big Sheep Parade with 1,200 sheep, sheep camps and team, and cultural performers making their way down Main Street, Ketchum.
  • The American Lamb Board hosted a group of Lambassadors—a talented mix of chefs, influencers, and recipe developers

Festival founder, local rancher, former Idaho State Senator and family-man, John Peavey, passed on Sunday, June 16, 2024. With his wife Diane, he was an icon of the Sun Valley community, loved his sheep and his ranch and educated so many about the animals and the land. All this while sharing moving, funny and inspirational stories with all who listened. As a tribute to John, the Trailing of the Sheep Festival has launched The John Peavey Legacy Fund. Donations received for this Fund will be used to support an annual scholarship, as well as John’s legacy to carry out the Festival’s mission to gather, celebrate, present, and preserve the history and cultures of sheepherding in Idaho and the West. A Celebration of Life for John – with standing room only – was held during the Festival on Saturday, October 5, 2024.

Annual estimate for the total Festival is 25,000 people with a nearly $7.6 million impact on the local economy (last economic development report was conducted by Sun Valley Economic Development in 2023).

On the Festival maps that were located at the Sheepdog Trials, HQ, Happy Trails Closing Party and Fair, guests “pinned” themselves as being from 46 states and multiple foreign countries in 2024.

The 2025 Festival is slated for October 8-12.

Grantee Spotlight

Rotarun Ski Area Invites Community to Join in Celebration of the Hill’s History
Attendees of Rotarun’s opening day festivities read the panels of a new history exhibit unveiled by ski area leaders. PHOTO TAKE BY: Roland Lane

HAILEY, Idaho – December 10, 2024 – As Rotarun starts up its platter lift for opening day of the 2024/25 season on Saturday, Dec. 21, the hill’s namesake Hailey Rotary Club will be flipping pancakes for the community while a special new exhibit at the base of the ski hill is unveiled. The Rotarun History Preservation Project shares the chronological story over nearly eight decades of how the ski hill came to be—featuring written narrative, images, memories, and historical mementos. Pancakes start at 10:00 a.m., unveiling at 11:00 a.m. and public skiing will be open from 12 – 4:00 p.m.

This first phase of the project features a permanent exhibit near the base of the lift. Five large-format panels share a decade-by-decade history-in-brief with snapshots of days gone by through current times. A second phase of the project will soon invite the community and visitors to share memories and stories through an ongoing “Letters to Rotarun” campaign, and will look to bring further historical details to light throughout the interior of the base lodge at Rotarun.
Heather Foster, who works full-time for the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation and volunteers for Rotarun, took the lead on the project with consultation from Joan Davies. Davies’ historical expertise and support of Rotarun as a long-time member of the Rotarun Board of Directors and as a leader and member of the Hailey Rotary Club, have been instrumental in helping to share the story.

“The opportunity to share the story of Rotarun in such a meaningful way is a long time in the making, and I am so grateful for the vision, initiative, and community support that have come together to make this a reality,” said Joan Davies. “Remembering our past and those who came before us is so important, and equally so is keeping our collective community always looking to our future—and a project like this is such a fun way to bring it all together.”

In the spring of 2024, Rotarun earned the opportunity to present the project before the Wood River Women’s Foundation. Ultimately, the foundation awarded the grant and shared their belief in the vision to bring this to life for our community. The WRWF grant will enable Rotarun to not only preserve history but also build a stronger, more connected community—inspiring future generations to continue the legacy of Rotarun.

“A couple of years ago, I brought the idea for the Rotarun History Preservation Project to Rotarun’s Executive Director, Scott McGrew, in hopes to identify funding to help with the hard costs of the project,” said Foster, Director of Strategic Communications & Development for the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation. “Rotarun holds such a special place in the hearts of so many, and the more I continued to learn about its history, the greater my passion grew for seeing this project through to fruition.”

True to how Rotarun came to be and has evolved over the years, the hands-on time, talent, and treasure of so many are helping bring the project to reality. In addition to the thoughtful and generous grant from the Wood River Women’s Foundation, the Savaria Family, Carl Rixon, Jr. of Rixon Excavation, and Skip Merrick of Merrick Construction were hands on for a combined 100+ hours to design, engineer, and build the exterior exhibit’s structure. Foster collaborated with Julia Seyferth Curran, who brought the panel visuals to life through her extraordinary talent as an artist and graphic designer.

The next phases of the project are expected to roll out by the end of calendar year 2025.

For more information about Rotarun, visit rotarun.org

About Rotarun
Located just three miles west of downtown Hailey, Idaho, Rotarun Ski Area has been a community hub for local snow sports enthusiasts since 1948. Rotarun offers affordable youth snowsport programming and public skiing throughout the winter season. Since 2017, Rotarun and the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation (SVSEF), separate 501c3 organizations, have worked together to collectively further learn-to-ski and ride programs and advanced training opportunities for the youth of the Wood River Valley. For more information, please visit www.rotarun.org.

Members in the news

JANE CONRAD retires from sun valley city council

JANE CONRAD retires from sun valley city council

Jane Conard has served on the City Council since 2015

This week’s Mountain Express celebrated the service of our very own Jane Conard, who in addition to being an active WRWF member for many years, also served as President of the Sun Valley City Council.

Read all about it in the link below, and thank you Jane for your dedication to our Community.

Carlyn Ring passes peacefully

In addition, the Mountain Express celebrated the life of former WRWF member Carlyn Ring who lived a full life which included philanthropy and service here in the Wood River Valley as well as in Washington D.C. Carlyn’s family thoughtfuly asked that instead of flowers, gifts be made to WRWF which is so kind.

Celebrate Volunteering

Gail Landis

Q: When did you join WRWF and why did you join?

I joined WRWF around 2014. I knew several women who were members and I wanted to learn more about the Wood River Valley’s nonprofits and to become directly involved in our community. In particular, my close relationship with Barbara Thrasher was an important factor.

I also have a deeply-held belief and commitment to serving and giving back—and have a long history of nonprofit board service. There is always a way for each of us to bring our life experience and add value and I wanted to do that for the Wood River Valley as well.

There were not a lot of options for committee work at that time given that I was a part-time resident. We were not yet our own 501(c)(3) organization, and there was no Zoom! I spent 3 years as a member of the Impact Committee, which was a subcommittee of Grants. That was work which I was able to do seasonally.

Q: What committees have you participated in over the years you’ve been involved?

In December 2016, Joanne Wetherell, the WRWF President at the time, asked me to consider joining the WRWF Board to focus on two things—restarting a Governance Committee and helping to launch an endowment. Joanne saw the importance of both of these initiatives given that WRWF had begun to operate as its own 501(c)(3) in 2016.

I was fortunate to be able to put together an experienced and dedicated Governance Committee from the outset. These women (Marcia Liebich, Kathy Edwards, Esther Ochsman, Jennifer Wilson, Patti Zebrowski) really stepped up and together we put in place a full suite of policies and charters for WRWF.

The Governance Committee also took on responsibility for developing the governing documents for the Restricted Endowment (launched in August 2017) and retained oversight for the Endowment until we established an Investment Committee in 2020.

After we completed our strategic planning work in 2019, Advancing Mission – Building Sustainability, (which I co-chaired with Terry Bullock), we had a multi-year road map to address all of the organization’s foundational elements and position WRWF for its next phase of growth, sustainability and impact.

I was able to use my professional expertise and to take on some additional roles as chair of our new Nominating Committee and of our new Investment Committee (IC). Our IC is a subcommittee of the Finance Committee, where I continue to serve as a member working closely with FC Chair and Treasurer, Trinka Dyer.

I was fortunate to serve on the WRWF Board with four wonderful WRWF Presidents—Joanne Wetherell, Peggy Grove, Terri Bullock and Sandy McCullough. I learned a lot from each of them and worked hard to provide the right support given the various leadership positions I held.

Q: What would you share with new members who are wondering how to get involved?

There is no better way to get involved than serving on a committee. We have a breadth of opportunities to match each person’s skills and interests. It is a fantastic way to meet people with shared values and to expand your circle of acquaintances—and make new friends. I have served on numerous nonprofit boards over the past 40 years, and each of these experiences has given so much more back to me than the effort I made to support these organizations.

Event Recap

WRWF Holiday Gathering Full of Merry Making

WRWF Holiday Gathering Tuesday, December 17th, 4:00 to 6:00 pm

On December 19th, over 70 ladies gathered to celebrate another year of supporting our local non-profit community. Once again Trinka Dyer, Finance Chair, generously opened her home to host our celebration which brought together members, new members and prospective members.

New connections were made as well as old connections rekindled with founding members sharing their continued joy at being a part of our growing group of philanthropists. It really was a special evening. For a great write-up, please click the button below to read member Karen Bossicks piece in Eye on Sun Valley.

And Board President, Jeannie Shroads, kicked off our 20th Year Anniversary celebration by announcing the launch of our Endowment Campaign aiming to insure another 20 years of success supporting our community through our collective giving efforts. The Endowment helps to fund our operations and as we’ve grown we have found it necessary to have a full-time operations manager and were fortunate to be able to bring Lindsey on full-time and Noe on for additional hours.

As Jeannie explained, we are looking to have 100% participation in this campaign so whether you can give $20 or $20,000, we hope you will join us in establishing a firm operational foundation for the future of Wood River Women’s Foundation. One member was so inspired, she wrote a check for $25,000 that very evening so we are off to a great start! For more information on giving to the Endowment, please visit: https://woodriverwomensfoundation.org/endowment-fund/

upcoming grantee community events

  • NEED THIS INFO

WRWF Calendar

6th Annual State of the Valley: Building an Ecosystem of Care – Supporting youth mental well-being in the Wood River Valley

When: Tues, Feb 11th, 4-6pm
Where: Join remotely or in person at The Community Library
Audience: Public & WRWF Members

February

Grants ARTs Presentations

When: Thur, Feb 27th, 12-4pm
Where: Join remotely or in person at Zions - Community Conference Room
Audience: Grants Leadership Team (GLT) & Grants Committee ART Volunteers

Member Appreciation Event - Aprés Ski

When: Wed, March 5th, 4-6pm
Where: Sun Valley Culinary Institute, Ketchum
Audience: WRWF Members & Guests

March

Grants Nonprofits Finalists Presentations

When: Wed, March 12th, 12:30-4:30pm
Where: Join remotely or in person at Zions - Community Conference Room
Audience: GLT & WRWF Members

new members

None yet – so bring your friends and neighbors to join us ladies!

The Wood River Women’s Foundation is more than just a group—it’s a movement of empowered women committed to making a difference in their community. By joining, you’ll connect with like-minded individuals, expand your network, and have a direct impact on the future of the Wood River Valley through philanthropy and collaboration. Whether you’re passionate about education, the environment, or social justice, your voice will be heard, and your efforts will create lasting change. Become part of a legacy of giving and leadership, where together, we uplift, inspire, and transform lives.

We are delighted to extend a warm WRWF welcome this month to:

    • Annie Kaiser
    • Laura Gamble
    • Heather Hart
    • Diane Steffey

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!

New Member Spotlight

Kris Bowman

Kris Bowman is the former Executive Director for the U.S. Polo Association as well as Director for the National Polo Training Foundation. She is an author and publisher of various Equestrian Training Manuals as well as video production and on-line teaching modules.

Most recently, Kris has become the Co-Founder of Environmental Animal Products, an eco-friendly producer of animal products sourced from Bamboo.

Kris is a long-time non profit “junkie” and has decades of experience to bring to the table. Since her return to the Wood River Valley, over four years ago having returned from living and working here in the 90’s, she has been searching for a community that brings strong women to the table to share ideas and do great things that are uplifting and collaborative and has found that in the WRWF. She is a life-long equestrian, a downhill & classic cross country skier, fly fisherwoman and avid hiker.

Press Release

Wood River Women’s Foundation Announces Opening of 2025 Grants Cycle

BLAINE COUNTY, IDAHO – January 9, 2025 – The Wood River Women’s Foundation (WRWF) is excited to announce the opening of its 2025 Grants Cycle as the organization celebrates its 20th anniversary. Beginning at 8:00 AM on Thursday, January 9th, local nonprofits are invited to apply for funding to support initiatives that create positive impacts across Blaine County. Applications will be accepted through midnight on Thursday, January 23rd, 2025.

As a community-driven organization, WRWF is committed to amplifying the power of women’s collective giving to support innovative and resilient nonprofits. The Foundation’s Pooled Fund Grants provide financial support for operational and project specific needs, empowering organizations to break barriers, foster opportunities, and build a brighter, more equitable future for Blaine County residents.

Eligibility and Grant Details:

  • Applicant organizations must be IRS-qualified 501(c)3 entities or hold other IRS-approved tax exempt status.
  • Organizations must not discriminate based on age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, physical ability, sexual orientation, or political or religious belief.
  • Funds must serve missions within Blaine County and cannot be used for exclusively sectarian purposes or activities that are religious or political in nature.
  • Grants range from $5,000 to $25,000.
  • Organizations that received fully-funded WRWF grants in the preceding two consecutive years are ineligible to apply in 2025, though this restriction does not apply to partially-funded recipients.

 

Why Apply? “We believe in the transformative power of collaboration and innovation,” said Jeannie Shroads, President WRWF. “Our grants enable local nonprofits to expand their reach, enhance their services, and make lasting contributions to the community. No request is too small to make a meaningful difference.”

Applicants are encouraged to review the eligibility criteria and application guidance available on the WRWF website. The application link and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the Grants Cycle page.

About the Wood River Women’s Foundation: Since its inception, WRWF has been dedicated to empowering women’s collective giving and creating lasting change within Blaine County. By pooling resources and awarding grants to remarkable nonprofits, WRWF supports resilience, innovation, and equity in the community. Don’t miss this opportunity to partner with WRWF in making a tangible impact on Blaine County.

THANK YOU, Sponsors!

We are grateful for our sponsors and extend a hearty WRWF thank you to
Graybird Foundation, Zions Bank, and UBS!

THANK YOU TO OUR contributors

Thank you to this month’s News Brief contributors:

  • Karissa Price Rico
  • Sarah Shepard
  • Lindsey Larrivee
  • Susie Zachman

New Members

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