STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
100 Men Who Care will consider nonprofits representing the arts and the needs of immigrants when they meet on Tuesday
The gathering will meet from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 14, at The Community Library in Ketchum. Those who wish to attend by Zoom can do so at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83927960303?pwd=gxfukZrkljKb9PmRxrRBBEbZIgPtiJ.1. The Meeting ID is 839 2796 0303 and the Passcode 715165.
Men will consider:
The Spot Sun Valley, which has been producing Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning plays in the valley for 10 years. Spot Co-Founder Yanna Lantz will give the presentation.
Boulder Mountain Clayworks, which offers adults and children a creative outlet, in addition to providing the bowls for the Empty Bowls soup and salad fundraiser for Blaine County Charitable Fund. Clayworks’ Executive Director Lauren Street will discuss her organization’s work.
The Alliance of Idaho, which offers help to those with immigration questions. The organization also takes on asylum cases and Project Solo, a Special Immigrant Juvenile Status Program designed to protect immigrants under the age of 21 who have been abused, neglected or abandoned by one or both parents.. Becky Lopez will talk about The Alliance.
All three are first-time recipients of 100 Men Who Care.
Additionally, Lee Dabney, will share the latest on an initiative to crate a library district for the Hailey and Bellevue libraries. A “Yes” vote on the May ballot would create a permanent levy that would ensure the two are funded in the future.
Founded by Marty Lyon, 100 Men Who Care brings together community leaders and neighbors who listen to presentations from local nonprofits and then pool donations to make a unified impact.
100 Men Who Care meets quarterly to learn about the work of nonprofits in the Wood River Valley. Men may then choose to donate $100 to the nonprofit of their choice, split their donation among the three being considered or even donate more than $100 to the various causes.
At its last meeting in January 100 Men Who Care donated $13,300 to The Space Idaho, which offers afterschool tutoring and enrichment to middle and high school students. Far + Wise got $10,850 in donations for its afterschool programs that begin with kindergarteners. And Project Big Wood, which addresses the health of the Big Wood River, got $8,500
The total--$32,650—meant that 100 Men Who Care has donated $757,520 to local nonprofits since its first meeting in 2013.
Laura Schaaf Calvert, development director for The Space, said her organization was deeply honored to have been selected as a beneficiary by 100 Men Who Care, calling it “a remarkable local philanthropic group dedicated to empowering nonprofits through collective giving.”
“With this generous contribution, we can continue to create a community where every teen feels seen, supported and equipped to succeed,” she said. “At The Space, our work helps teens of all backgrounds to receive personalized academic support and develop tools for thriving in school and life, shaping not only their future, but the future of our community as a whole.
“Beyond the financial boost, the encouragement and engagement from the members of 100 Men Who Care remind us that strengthening our youth is truly a community endeavor.”