The seventh annual Share Your Heart Ball will be especially notable this year as it celebrates two milestones. Camp Rainbow Gold, a free camp for children diagnosed with cancer, will celebrate its 25th birthday. And this will be the first time that the fundraiser will be entirely for Camp Rainbow Gold.
The ball will be held at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, at the Sun Valley Inn's Limelight Room. Tickets are $175, and include hosted beer and wine, appetizers, dinner, dessert and dancing. In addition to a silent auction, the event boasts one of the most exciting live auctions of the year. Live auction items include several Hollywood experiences such as a walk-on part on the Fox show "24," attending a "Family Guy" table reading in a Hollywood studio, VIP tickets to the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno," tickets to a taping of "American Idol" and VIP tickets to a live taping of "Two and A Half Men," which includes a backstage visit and possibly meeting actors.
Other items include an all-inclusive trip for four to Belize, an exclusive fly-fishing and skeet-shooting trip with wine picnic, six-day raft trip and a Sun Valley winter deluxe package, which includes a parking pass, two 20/20 ski passes, private ski locker, boots, helmets and Smith goggles and sunglasses.
In addition there will be a chance to bid on a exclusive wine-tasting trip and cottage in Napa, Calif., a condo in Hawaii, eight tickets to any Knitting Factory concert, dinner for eight at Pair restaurant in Boise with a $500 bar tab at China Blue, and as well as a martini party for 60 at Zou 75, which includes appetizers and sushi, wine, all beverages, DJ Gerry and transportation. Other auction items include a sit-down dinner party for 20 at Gilman Contemporary gallery in Ketchum with live music and catering by Riccabona's, all-inclusive golf trips in at the Entrada Country Club in Utah and an acrobatic flight with Greg Poe.
"Cancer doesn't stop for the economy and neither can we," said Kristina Cronin, founder and co-chairwoman of the Share Your Heart Ball. "We have a record number of kids attending. We are seeing more children, and more children are sick. It's bittersweet."
Camp Rainbow Gold will extend its oncology camp for two weeks in 2010 so no child will be turned away. The organization will host a family camp weekend north of Ketchum at Camp Perkins this June. A sibling camp will take place in July with 60 kids at Cathedral Pines campground and the eighth annual motorcycle escort to Camp Rainbow Gold will be held Aug. 2.
"It is the 25th anniversary for Camp Rainbow Gold," Kronin said. "It is a magical week for the kids when Sagebrush Arena brings a mobile arena and horses for kids to ride and Company of Fools puts on theater workshops."
Kids impaired from treatment, surgery and cancer participate and enjoy themselves at Camp Rainbow Gold, which provides a range of activities and special events.
"There are no scars, baldness or disabilities," Kronin said. "Everyone is equal there, which is not the case in the real world."
Ketchum Dry Goods will donate a portion of its proceeds from Tuesday, Feb. 24, through March 3. On Saturday, Feb. 28, from 1-4 p.m., the store will offer free wine and champagne.
To purchase tickets or obtain information on volunteer opportunities, call (208) 422-0176, (208) 422-0842 or visit Camprainbowgold.org.
Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com
Seven of Brianna Flanders’ friends, now fifth-graders from Riverstone School in Boise, attended last year’s event dubbing their "hand jive" dance the "Bri’s Ball." They plan to attend this year in memory of Flanders. Photo by Willy Cook
