Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Picking up the calls

Wine tasting to benefit Crisis Hotline


By SABINA DANA PLASSE
Express Staff Writer

Svea Grover, left, Janet Barton, center, and Kristin Bevers enjoy some wine at the Crisis Hotline wine tasting and silent auction fundraising event. Photo by Willy Cook

The Wood River Valley has the resources to help those in need when down and out. The Crisis Hotline is a 24-hour confidential information, referral agency and crisis-intervention service that serves both residents and visitors. The service is anonymous, confidential and a safe place for people to call.

"Spring calls have been picking up," Executive Director Sher Foster said last week. "There are a lot more suicidal calls than normal and a lot of depression calls."

Foster said the Crisis Hotline will help with counseling, especially if people cannot afford counseling on their own.

"We do have the resources to help them," she said. "Counselors are trained professionals and are able to step in any time when people call."

To fund this service, the Crisis Hotline will have its spring wine-tasting and silent-auction benefit on Saturday, June 5, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden, south of Ketchum off state Highway 75.

Wine tastings from Holesinsky Winery, Carmela Vineyards and Snyder Winery will be complemented by gourmet appetizers from Sun Valley Brewery and Zou 75. In addition, the evening will have live music by valley talents Cheryl Morrell and Alan Pennay.

"This will be our first time at the garden and we are looking to draw more people from the North," Foster said. "It is a beautiful environment."

The event hopes to attract more men and has included golf passes from The Valley Club and Bigwood Golf and a golf package from Carmella Vineyards for bidding. In addition, other items for auction include The River Company and White Otter Raft Trips, Smith Sports Sunglasses, Nelson's Tune-up, La Reverie and Meadow Creek Spa Treatments, Reiki Treatment, Tom Crais Silk Peels and a Curves membership.

Gift certificates including dining at the Sawtooth Club, the Roosevelt, The Brickhouse and the Bluebird Day Café, as well as from Ketchum Kitchens, Miracle Hot Springs, Maggie's, Ozzies and Swept Away. Artwork from Jensen Stern, jewelry from Silpada and Petersen Jewelers as well items from Vintage, Body Buff, Sisters, Davies Reid and Backwoods Mountain Sports will also be available. To view the entire list, visit thecrisishotline.org.

The Crisis Hotline has been providing an information table on a regular basis at Wood River High School since 2008 and began this year serving information to the Wood River Middle School.

"We need the support of the community we serve," Foster said. "It's more important than ever. We have seen an increase in calls from teenagers, which is really fortunate because they know their calls are confidential and safe."

Foster said it has been a tough year for all nonprofits.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the door or by calling 788-0735.

Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com




 Local Weather 
Search archives:


Copyright © 2024 Express Publishing Inc.   Terms of Use   Privacy Policy
All Rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Express Publishing Inc. is prohibited. 

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.