STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Lauren Neccohea from Idaho Voices for Children will be among the keynote speakers at Friday’s Winter Gala for Blaine County Democrats.

Neccohea will be joined by Luke Mayfield of Reclaim Idaho.

The event, which is the major fundraiser for election headquarters, is organized by the Blaine County Democratic Central Committee. It will be held from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5, at the Ketchum Event Center, 660 Sun Valley Road in Ketchum. It will feature eats catered by The Haven, a cash bar and silent auction.

It’s anticipated that some of the Democratic candidates will be on hand, as well, said Janie Davidson.

Idaho Voices for Children champions policies that help kids and their families thrive. For instance, it supports Strengthening Families, a research-informed approach to build protective factors that increase family strengths, enhance child development and reduce the likelihood of abuse or neglect.

It helped pass 2010 legislation supporting grandparents and other relatives who find themselves caring for children without outside financial support. And in 2012 it championed the establishment of a Child Fatality Review Team to improve child safety by identifying the causes of child deaths in Idaho.

Reclaim Idaho is leading a drive to put Medicaid expansion on the ballot. It also is focusing on ways to strengthen public schools, protect public lands and natural resources and extend healthcare to 78,000 Idahoans who fall in the so-called Medicaid gap, unable to access affordable healthcare.