BY KAREN BOSSICK

A pipeline of coats and food made its way from the Wood River Valley to Shoshone this holiday season.

The second annual clothing and food drive included warm clothing, blankets and cash donations for food boxes for 43 families.  

The drive was organized by Ketchum resident Candice Stark and Julia Borrayo, who lives in Shoshone.

Everyone, it seemed, pitched in. Students at the Sun Valley Community School ran a clothing drive and baked cookies. Employees at the Starbucks in Ketchum donated clothing at their annual holiday party.  Some made donations of toilet paper, frozen beef and bicycles.

Nancy Tatum and the new 5B Engine Works helped rally the troops. And two families—the Lyons and Potuzaks—made a cash donation as their holiday gift to one another to ensure that the families received turkeys and three cases of non-alcoholic wine.

As the donations mounted, volunteers drove a SUV and Sprinter van packed to the rafters with the gifts to Shoshone.

“Julia, who has spearheaded the drive, graciously opened her home and we all worked together to sort the clothing…like a little store,” said Stark. “And Julia and her elves had already put together amazing food boxes that included a gift card for a grocery store or Target, a bag of homemade cookies and warm tamales that Julia and her friends stayed up all night to make.”

Borrayo said the families who received the gifts were very appreciative: “They were helped probably more than we can ever know.”