Benefiting Hospice of North Idaho and its mission since 1985
By Jillian Chandler
Photo by Norma Jeane's Photography
It’s that time of year again where the community is invited to come out and show their support to Hospice of North Idaho!
The 39th annual Hospice Winter Wine Taste & Auction returns to the Coeur d’Alene Resort on Saturday, February 3. The festive evening kicks off at 5pm, as guests adorned in their beautiful and handsome formal attire make their arrival, breeze through the streamlined check-in process, and are immediately greeted by decadent décor that reflects this year’s theme: Fly Me to the Moon.
“Historically, we have done different themes for over 38 years. For a while, we were choosing our theme based on countries and culture, but this year, we thought it would be fun to do an ‘old school’ Las Vegas theme with inspiration from the ‘Rat Pack’ icons like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr.,” shares Megan Ryan, community relations specialist for Hospice of North Idaho. “It brings us back to a vintage era of music, entertainment and lights that have existed for many decades. We like to think that our service to our community has similarly had a positive impact for many decades since our inception 42 years ago.”
Once checked in, guests will have the opportunity to mingle and taste specialty wines and food choices. There will be exciting games to play, a silent auction, new live auction packages available, and a few of their popular offerings. An after-party at Whispers Lounge will cap off the evening. (Special room reservations are available through The Coeur d’Alene Resort; call 855.703.4648 to reserve your room.)
Megan shares that approximately 325 tickets will be sold for the event, plus 500 raffle tickets with the chance to win a luxury, customizable Five-Star resort experience at Wynn Las Vegas. The package includes flights, accommodations and more, and is valued at $4,995. You do not need to be present to win.
All funds raised during the evening go to furthering Hospice of North Idaho’s mission of providing expert care and compassion for all those experiencing their end-of-life journey in Kootenai, Shoshone, South Bonner and Benewah counties—regardless of their financial resources. Last year’s event brought in more than $265,000! This year they are hoping to raise $275,000.
“I love the laughter, the music, the games, the food and drink,” says Eric Ladwig, executive director and Wine Taste Event chair. “Most importantly, I love that so many people come to carry us forward in our mission, knowing that every bit of support we receive goes directly to us caring for so many needful people. I feel honored to be part of Hospice of North Idaho, and I celebrate any opportunity our community members take to link arms with our team to bring peace and beauty to those who need us as they near the end of life’s journey.”
To purchase your ticket to attend, priced $125 per person, visit HospiceofNorthIdaho.org/annual-wine-taste.