Annual Blessing of the Animals
The annual Blessing of the Animals will take place on Sunday, Sept. 30, from noon to 1 p.m. at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 201 Sun Valley Rd.
Father Ken Brannon, rector of St. Thomas, and Father John Moreland, minister of Light on the Mountains Spiritual Center, will officiate. The Animal Shelter staff and volunteers will bring shelter dogs and cats to the Belltower patio to be blessed and get a chance to meet a potential adoption-minded owner. Treats for all (owners and animals alike) will be available.
The Blessing of the Animals honors St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of all God’s creatures and the environment because of his gentleness and compassion. He was said to have tamed wild lions.
“God’s favor extends to all creation,” Brannon said. “How appropriate to celebrate the handiwork of the divine in all our beloved creatures. Bring your gerbils, guinea pigs, rabbits, cats, dogs, fish , even snakes—the latter if well caged and if a blindfold is provided for me!”
Film festival donates to Nature Conservancy
Silver Creek Outfitters donated more than $3,500 to the Idaho Nature Conservancy for use in conservation projects on Silver Creek Preserve in Picabo. The money was raised during the seventh annual Fly Fishing Film Festival, held in July in Sun Valley.
“The film festival is always a wonderful way to gather like-minded anglers to enjoy the beauty and wonder of the sport,” said Clark Shafer, associate director of philanthropy at the Idaho Nature Conservancy. “To receive such a generous gift as a result of the festival really shows what is so special about Idaho’s fly-fishing community. Donations like this one help protect and preserve our area’s beautiful places for generations to come. We greatly appreciate Silver Creek Outfitter’s support.”
Shafer said one potential use for the gift is to continue work on Silver Creek Preserve’s Kilpatrick Pond. Silver Creek Outfitter owner Terry Ring called Silver Creek one of his favorite trout streams.
“Over the years, I have watched Kilpatrick Pond fill with silt, decreasing the fishable habitat and negatively impacting water quality,” Ring said. “Restoring Kilpatrick Pond will improve the fishing on Silver Creek and is a very worthwhile project.”
Rib cook-off to benefit students with disabilities
Have an unbeatable rib recipe? Show off and help Wood River High School’s newly crowned homecoming king Nathan Lago with his senior project, which will raise money for Special Olympics and the Blaine County School District transition program for students with disabilities.
Residents and businesses interested in participating in a rib cook-off on Nov. 17, hosted at Mahoney’s Bar and Grill in Bellevue, can contact Lago at ntlago13@gmail.com, or Kelly Choma at 578-5436.
Bereavement support group forming
With the holiday season just around the corner, many will be experiencing grief and loss in an amplified way, some for the first time.
To help with the process, the Hospice and Palliative Care of the Wood River Valley announced that its fall support group is forming now and will meet Tuesday evenings on Oct. 2, 9, 16 and 23.
The group will have limited enrollment, so reservations are necessary, and though it is free, one must be able to attend all four sessions to sign up.
Facilitated by registered nurse Kathi Eason, a registered nurse trained in grief and loss, the group will afford participants a chance to share feelings and receive support and guidance.
Topics of discussion will include emotional and physical responses to grief, illness and care-giving, remembering anniversaries, birthdays and holidays, spiritual and philosophical considerations, role and family changes.
For more information, call 726-8464.
Mountain School fundraisers set for fall
The Mountain School Garden Party fundraiser 2012 opens for bidding today, Sept. 26, kicking off an effort to raise $30,000 to provide scholarships to the Bellevue Waldorf school.
There are 132 auction items, ranging from spa and ski packages to sunglasses and gym memberships.
Presented by The Mountain School Parents’ Association, the third annual Garden Party and Auction Fundraiser, which includes cocktails and garden hors d’oeuvres, will take place Saturday, Oct. 6, from 5-7 p.m.
The auction can be found at www.biddingforgood.com/auction/AuctionHome.
