The first Crisis Hotline concert promises to be a fun community event for everyone in the Wood River Valley. The show will take place Friday, Jan. 22, at the nexStage Theatre in Ketchum. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. and end at 1 a.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $7 for 18 and under available at the door.
The concert will include MC Keith Joe Dick as its host and live music by Cow Says Moo, No Cheap Horses, Toast and the duo Alejandro and Marie-Laura. Kim Stocking, unplugged, will open the show. In addition, DJ Lenny Joseph will spin tunes at 11 p.m. for a dance party.
"We have some immensely talented local musicians in our area," said Sher Foster, Crisis Hotline executive director. "We would like to encourage people to come out and hear them and have a great time."
The benefit concert has a number of sponsors for the event. The Roosevelt Grille has donated food and Despo's and the Pioneer Saloon have given gift certificates for a raffle. Beer, wine and snacks will be available for purchase.
"We have never done this before," Foster said. "We wanted it to be a community event and are looking forward to seeing young people of all ages."
The Crisis Hotline is the only crisis intervention and referral service in the valley. For the past 22 years, it has operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Crisis Hotline statistics show that more than a quarter of the Wood River Valley population has used the services of the Crisis Hotline since its inception.
The hotline is staffed by trained volunteers who have completed a 20-hour course in listening skills and the dynamics of crises. Topics addressed during the training include listening to adolescents, alcoholism and substance abuse, abuse and neglect of children, public assistance resources, hospice care, mental illness, codependency, suicide intervention, domestic violence and sexual assault.
The hotline also receives calls from family members and friends living outside the area who are concerned about someone living in Blaine County.
Since the Crisis Hotline began operation, 335 volunteers have completed training and have donated more than 200,000 hours of time in service to the community.
For details on the concert, call 788-3596.
Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com