STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

The Sagebrush Soiree is asking those who love the Sawtooth Mountains to celebrate and support them at the Sagebrush Soiree.

This year’s Soiree will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 18, at Pioneer Park in Stanley, which features the Sawtooth Mountains as its backdrop. It’ll kick off with a cocktail reception featuring lavish hors d’oeuvres, followed by a sit-down dinner with expertly paired wines and a chance to bid on live and silent auction items.

The Sawtooth Society will honor Arlen Crouch, the owner of Redfish Lake Lodge and a director of the Sawtooth Society, with its Champion of the Sawtooths Award during dinner.

Crouch, a native of Jerome, and his wife Derrel have owned the rustic Redfish Lake Lodge since 1999, maintaining it with a deep respect for the natural beauty and historical significance of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area in which it is located. Crouch fell in love with the area during his youth and his love has only grown stronger over time.

The Redfish Lake Lodge is one of the sponsors of the Sagebrush Soiree, along with D.L. Evans Bank, Rocky Mountain Hardware, Native Landscapes, Arctic Spas, BearRock Investments and others.

Monies raised at the dinner helped fund the work of the Sawtooth Society, which was established in 1997 to be an advocate for the SNRA and work with the U.S. Forest Service to maintain and improve trails, campgrounds and other recreational facilities.

Since 2014, the Society’s volunteers have cleared more than 11,000 trees from 1,200 miles of trails and provided stewardship education opportunities to more than 400 young individuals. More than $1 million in monies from the Goat License plates have enabled 240 recreation enhancement projects.

To attend the Sagebrush Soiree or to learn more about the Sawtooth Society, visit www.sawtoothsociety.org/soiree or contact Michael Hoover at Mike@SawtoothSociety.org or 208-481-9675.