Ketchum resident Kim Rogers is like a lot of women who moved to the Wood River Valley after college. She came and went several times before finally setting down roots in the mid-1980s. She was a waitress. She worked retail. And, of course, she played. Then, six years ago, she started working for the Ketchum Police Department.
"I had no idea what the cops' function was or even where the police station was," she said, laughing. "Until then I was the person saying, 'Cop! Cop! Slow down!' when I saw one on the road."
She is now the Ketchum Police Department's public information officer and special events coordinator.
On Saturday, April 21, Rogers will be recognized for her outstanding contribution as a volunteer ambassador for the Sun Valley-Ketchum Chamber & Visitor's Bureau. The chamber's 10th annual Community Awards Banquet will be held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the River Run Lodge in Ketchum. Tickets are $50.
So, what exactly is an ambassador?
There are approximately 15 ambassadors for the chamber, representing all sorts of businesses and the communities of Blaine County. They attend chamber meetings and Business After Hours gatherings, as well as interact with residents, tourists and business owners. Rogers was asked three years ago to represent the city of Ketchum as an ambassador.
"It's networking, mingling, going to ribbon cuttings," she said. "I like to be involved in the community. But it's all a team effort. We do the Spring Prom and do banners. I participated a lot. I went to all the BAHs."
Indeed, the announcement from the chamber states that Rogers went "way beyond the call of duty."
Rogers' involvement doesn't stop there, however. She is the 50-hour weekend volunteer shelter manager for the Advocates of Survivors of Domestic Violence, based in Hailey. That means she works straight 24-hour shifts.
"It's a good way for me to take the pulse of our community, and they are a great group" she said.
Rogers, a lively, funny woman, is entrenched in the valley after all this time. She has a solid group of friends, and keeps an eye open to all that is happening. And she's looking forward to enjoying her night in the spotlight, though she admits to nervousness about giving any kind of speech at the awards banquet. For her it's the community that matters.
"Just to see everyone there who's as enthusiastic about the community as I am will be fun," she said. "Everyone's a volunteer. This community just wants to give and give. And not just monetarily. A lot of the worker bees who live paycheck to paycheck give back constantly. It happens through education. Through the schools they teach the value of giving. To me, the awards are all about saying, 'Hey, thanks for playing.'"
Photo by Willy Cook
