STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Gerald Ford was president of the United States and Nelson Rockefeller was vice president when a group of parents started the Wild Game Dinner in 1976 as a way to raise money for the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation.

“Happy Days” was the most popular TV Show and a Big Mac cost just 75 cents.

Today, 47 years later the Wild Game Dinner is still going strong, although decidedly more glamorous than when ski kids’ parents pitched in the wild game they’d bagged for a potluck meal.

This year’s dinner will be held on Friday, Dec. 1 in Sun Valley Resort’s Limelight Room.

“The Wild Game Dinner is a time-honored tradition for the ski club and for our community,” said SVSEF Executive Director Scott McGrew. “It sets a unique stage for us to share stories of impact and inspiration and to raise critical funds towards our efforts to keep snow sports accessible and affordable.”

The dinner and auction helps to raise more than a half-million dollars of financial aid for the SVSEF’s Athlete Financial Aid Program.

New VIP tickets this year include live entertainment for the opening signature cocktail and hors d’oeuvres hour, along with a surprise takeaway for attendees. The evening will include a short program, guest speaker, a silent and live auction, dinner and dancing.

A VIP Reserved Table for Eight costs $2,800; VIP individual tickets, $325, and individual tickets, $250. Tickets are available online at https://svsef.org.

Businesses wishing to sponsor the dinner should contact Heather Foster at hfoster@svsef.org.

“What we do is bigger than sport—we help build good humans and stewards of the mountains we play in,” said McGrew. “While it is our responsibility to support each and every SVSEF athlete to reach their unique athletic potential, and to develop strong personal character through good sportsmanship and strong values, we also honor the opportunity to inspire efforts by our coaches and athletes to protect the places we play, train, and compete.”