"We're in a fundraising mood," said Chad Stuart of the music duo Chad and Jeremy.
Stuart, a Hailey resident, and his partner, Jeremy Clyde, who will travel from London, will play an après-ski benefit concert for equine rescue organization Silent Voices on Saturday, Feb. 5, at Whiskey Jacques' in Ketchum. The show, from 3-6 p.m., is $20 and kids enter for free.
"Silent Voices is a good name for equine rescue," Stuart said. "It's a good cause, and it's time to look at it."
Stuart said horse rescue has become more important because so many people can't afford to keep horses due to the current tough financial times. The issue is also close to the duo because Clyde is a rider and Stuart has a heart for horse and animal rescue.
"I met Chad through the donkeys," said Doro Lohman, founder of Silent Voices. "He would come with carrots and feed them. I didn't know who he was."
Lohman had seen a herd of donkeys in Hailey that included Dolly, who had an infected hoof. It had been suggested that Dolly be euthanized, but she was surrendered to Lohman because Lohman didn't want to see her die. At the time, Dolly was pregnant, but because she was so emaciated, Lohman had no idea. Lohman now takes care of Dolly and her foal, Paulina, at her home, where she fenced in her yard for the donkeys. Dolly's hoof is wrapped because it's a stub. Lohman has been seeking a prosthetic hoof for Dolly.
"Chad was so touched by the story and the need to find Dolly a foot, he wanted to do a benefit concert," Lohman said. "Chad knew about my horse-rescue work."
Lohman's Silent Voices has made great strides in saving and placing horses that have been starved or abandoned. She said many horse owners just don't have the means to take care of the animals and don't know what to do.
"Vets work with us pro bono and there are great volunteers, especially in the Wood River Valley," she said. "We have a great relationship with the Agriculture Department, and we get the calls when help is needed."
Lohman said situations vary, but Silent Voices gives people an opportunity to learn and teach animal owners how to do better.
The show will include a presentation by Lohman with a slide show. Expect to hear several Chad and Jeremy Top 40 hits including "Summer Song," "Yesterday's Gone," "Willow Weep for Me" and "Distant Shores."
Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com