September 2015

President’s Message

As fall approaches, we center our attention on the work of four of our 2015 Grantees who support children’s programming to create healthy environments for our children to flourish – Girls on the Run, Hailey Ice, Rotarun Ski Program, and the YMCA Make-a-Splash all provide a sense of accomplishment, well-being and an understanding of safety measures required in their chosen sport.

We have highlighted the personal experiences of each of the Executive Directors of these four non-profits to give you an idea of their excitement and mission to improve the lives of our children.

Included is a letter from Lori Otter, First Lady of Idaho, who featured our organization in the Governor’s Newsletter this past week. She writes about our origins, pooling our talents and funds, and the difference we make in the community.

We wish to welcome our new members with a brunch on Thursday October 15th at the home of Sandra Flattery. This is a time to gather with other members and chat with several of our nonprofit grantees. See ‘Important Dates’ in the sidebar for more information. Hope you can join us!

Joanne Wetherell

President 

Girls on the Run Wood River Valley $11,600

With this Mission and Issue-Based Community Outreach project, Girls on the Run will pay a portion of their Executive Director’s salary, provide discussion guides for parents, develop new marketing materials (including a video, a brochure for coach recruitment, and a more general brochure) and fund a portion of their fall and spring Lunafest events.

Mary Fauth, Executive Director, Girls on the Run:

“In my position as the Executive Director at Girls on the Run, I feel so fortunate to work with the volunteer women (and men!) who possess the attributes that we strive to instill in the girls in our program. These volunteers also get to mentor the young participants from age eight all the way through college, in some cases. When I get to leave the office behind and join the Girls on the Run in action at the schools, it’s the highlight of my day to run, play, and talk with these enthusiastic girls. The work that we do in our community is evident to me, when I see thegirls growing up confident and with high self-esteem. Personally I feel like I have the best job in the world!”

Girls on the Run say…
Today I have the power…
To believe in myself…
To stand up for who I am.
To get stronger.
To say ‘yes’ to a challenge.
To grow.
To make new friends.
To dream…

WRWF women at the Girls on the Run fundraiser

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Hailey Ice, The Champion Ice House “Fill the Building” $14,500

On their way to fill the new Champion Ice House, Hailey Ice will use this grant to purchase two sets of 85-foot black foam bumpers, totaling $8500, four regulation hockey nets totaling $3000 and 6 mini-nets totaling $3000. These dividers will help fully utilize the entire rink and maximize the number of children and adults that can be on the ice at the same time.

Sarah Benson, Executive Director, Hailey Ice:

“In late 2011, my husband was a Hailey Ice Board Member. I was aware that they had spent many years not only searching for a venue, but also trying to secure funding to build a refrigerated rink. I wanted to help Hailey Ice continue to raise funds to make their dream a reality. Four years later, here we are. I love being able to help kids find something they are passionate about, but more importantly to open doors for them. They have the opportunity to free skate, play hockey, or figure skate. There is nothing better than participating in a winter sport with family and lifelong friends!”

Winter fun for everyone at Hailey Ice!

Kids enjoying ice hockey

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Rotarun Ski Club, LASAR After-School Program for Children to Learn to Alpine Ski and Race $7,000

75 to 100 kids will benefit from Rotarun’s LASAR After-School Program for Children to Learn to Alpine Ski and Race. From “never ever” skiers to good skiers, all can improve their technique and self-confidence in this low-cost program.

Jesse Foster, Executive Director, Rotarun:

“Our first winter in Hailey, we took our four- and six-year-olds to the Rotarun free ski day to learn about the program. We felt this was a place where we could get involved, and where our children would have the opportunity to learn to ski and race. We have been hooked ever since! Seeing the joy, confidence, and sense of accomplishment shared by the kids in this program enhances our enthusiasm for putting time and effort into Rotarun.”

Rotarun participants

Skiing at Rotarun in Hailey

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Wood River Community YMCA $5,000

Make-a-Splash is the Wood River Community YMCA‘s tried and tested program to teach 2nd and 3rd graders to be safe around the water and to be able to swim to the best of their ability. By the end of 2015, the Y plans to reach every school in Blaine County, allowing the Y to be the first in the nation to teach every child in the county to be water safe by 3rd grade.

Mike Wolter, Executive Director, YMCA:

“According to the CDC, the second leading cause of death in the United States for children between the ages of 2 and 14 is drowning, and Idaho was recently ranked 3rd in the country. The Y is committed to teaching 2nd grade children to be safe in and around water through the Make-a-Splash program, a proactive approach to teaching water safety skills to all Blaine County youth at no cost for the participants.”

Body Talk: Enhancing Your Message with Powerful Body Language

Your body and your voice communicate far more than your words- some studies say as much as 93% of a message is delivered through non-verbal communication. That means that even the most finely tuned content will fall flat if your body’s not in sync with it. This interactive workshop will give you information and tools to make sure your words and your body speak the same language. We will explore how women in nonprofits and businesses can adapt body language to empower their voices, messages, and missions. Presented by Nancy Buffington, Ph.D.

Tues. Oct. 20 9:00-12:00 PM

Community Campus, Hailey #301

Tuition $25

Sponsored by Marcia and Don Liebich

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The First Lady of Idaho, Mrs. Otter, featured the WRWF organization in the Governor’s Newsletter this past week:

First Lady’s Focus: Wood River Women’s Foundation and Select Health Awards

“This month I had the opportunity to welcome the participants at the Wood River Women’s Foundation’s 10th Annual Meeting with a welcome video. The Wood River Women’s Foundation was founded in 2005 by Barbara Thrasher and Jo Murray, with a mission to engage women in the power of collective giving. These women based their foundation on the model of the Washington Women’s Foundation. By pooling talents and funds, they support Blaine-County nonprofit organizations as they work to make their community stronger. There are now 44 women’s pooled giving groups across the United States. 9,000 women are involved and collectively they are responsible for raising and then giving more than $70 million to U.S. nonprofits. These women’s pooled giving groups share ideas for strengthening their individual groups through the Women’s Collective Giving Network. I appreciate all of the hard work that the WRWF does for their community and thank them for continuing to give back to our state.” – Lori Otter,  from the Governor’s Newsletter

President’s Closing Statement

The generous grants (above) for which you have voted are endowing our young people in our valley with the best possible gift – a sense of confidence to live in this world with their heads held high.

Stay tuned for next month when we will highlight some more amazing grantees! 

Joanne Wetherell

President