STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

After spending the past year and more meeting via Zoom, 100 Men Who Care are ready to kick up their heels and hob nob in person at their annual Summer Social.

Men will gather at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 13, at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden to select a beneficiary for this quarter’s donations.

This quarter’s nominees, nominated by 100 Men Who Care members, include:

• 2 Hearts North 4-H Club, which teaches youth ages 8 through 18 to ride horses and ponies at the Heatherlands Homeowners Association Equine Center. The program promotes not just a love for animals and a humane attitude towards them but develops leadership, initiative, self-reliance, horsemanship and sportsmanship.
• Bud Purdy Agricultural Scholarship, founded in 2015 by the Hailey Rotary Club to support local students wishing to study agricultural and related fields beyond high school. The idea is to provide an educated workforce necessary to continue operating farms and ranches in Blaine County.
• The Daffodil Festival, which is a partnership between the Sawtooth Botanical Garden and The Senior Connection. This fall 30,000 daffodil bulbs will be planted at the Botanical Garden with a festival following on Mother’s Day Weekend in 2022.

After the meeting—whoopee!—it’s party time.

Richard Castell, owner of Lago Azul in partnership with Herbert Romero, will serve refreshments to thank the men for donations that have benefitted the community during the pandemic. Donations have gone to a variety of organizations, including The Alliance of Idaho.

At their quarterly meeting in April, for instance, the men gave to The Advocates’ Skills for Success program, The Hunger Coalition and Men’s Second Chance Living. They have given nearly $50,00 to address immediate and ongoing needs of the community since the pandemic started. The men have give $284,225 to nonprofits since 100 Men’s inception several years ago.

For the first time ever spouses are invited to join the men for the social hour following the meeting at about 6:45 p.m. Those who ae not vaccinated are asked to wear a mask.

Those who plan to attend the social are asked to RSVP to marty@100menwhocarewoodrivervalley.com to ensure there’s enough food. Those who cannot make the meeting in person can send their quarterly $100 donation to Marty Lyon at 106 Red Cloud Way, Hailey, ID 83333.