STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Men and women wearing tuxes and elegant evening gowns put their skills to the test in the Lincoln Log Cabin Challenge for two days at Tamarack Ski Resort. They went on a scavenger hunt to find five Dream Catchers for a chance to win two nights at the Modern Hotel in Boise with tickets to “Wicked” at the Morrison Center, Idaho Shakespeare Festival and the Boise Philharmonic.

And they got to play a game of Heads and Tails for a bracelet featuring 128 sparkling diamonds donated by Chris Roebuck of Hailey’s Christopher & Co.

All this to send kids with cancer to Camp Rainbow Gold this summer.

Elizabeth Lizberg, Camp Rainbow Gold’s executive director, shared how Hidden Paradise camp has become a sanctuary where children who face unimaginable challenges can rediscover joy through simple things like riding bikes, engaging in food fights, building robots and enjoying s’mores around the fire.

Share Your Heart Ball, held this week at Sun Valley Resort’s Limelight Ballroom, was founded 23 years ago by Hailey residents Kris Nardecchia and Rob Cronin. It started as a Mardi Gras-themed evening and has evolved into a sold-out event that sports an elegant camp vibe with pre-dinner camp games and a recounting of the “Badger One, Badger All” camp welcome from a stage decorated with pine trees and tent canvas.

This year’s nearly 400 attendees got to pit their mathematical skills against that of 8-year-old Bruce, a camper at the Youth Oncology camp. Bruce, who wants to be an astronaut--and maybe President, too-- told attendees that his dream is to go to Mars since a meteorite from Mars signals there might be life there.

After solving a complicated mathematical equation in front of the audience, Bruce was well on his way to seeing his dreams come true, thanks to a gift from the Holland M. Ware Charitable Foundation and others giving him a behind-the-scenes tour of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, a front row seat at the FIRST robotics championships and a chance to meet NASA scientist Dr. Lonnie Johnson, who invented the Super Soaker, and Dean Kamen, founder of FIRST and inventor of Segway, iBot and the insulin pump.

Elizabeth Lizberg, executive director of Camp Rainbow Gold, recounted how one young camper who had lost a leg to cancer expressed a desire to skate after seeing Sun Valley Resort’s ice rink. Sun Valley Suns hockey players heard about it and made it happen.

Angie Luu of Sun Valley tried to entice attendees into seeing how fast they could build a cabin out of Lincoln logs—a nod to the 12 new cabins that have gone up at Hidden Paradise camp in the last 18 months. The reward: two nights at Tamarack Resort for four lift tickets.

“I’ll never forget when he came up to me and said, ‘I did it!’ ” Lizberg said.

Lizberg said hundreds of similar scenarios have been played out at camp, ranging from a youngster who wanted to learn to throw a ball to another wanting to jump rope.

“You know, what’s beautiful: These things didn’t happen by accident. They happened because of your support. Together we can make dreams come true for these kids,” she said. “And we’re not done. We’ve got more to do.”

Over a dinner of tender Double R Ranch Signature Tenderloin of Beef and an Espresso Tart with Crème Anglaise, attendees had the opportunity to bid on some robust auction lots.

Kelli Young and Joan Davies were joined by Dina Goitiandia-Beck

They included a five-night say in Iceland with a spa day at the geothermal Blue Lagoon and a tour of a geyser, waterfall and national Park, two tickets to a European concert featuring R&B global superstar Usher and seven nights for eight in Bali.

A private-in-home dinner for 10 prepared by Ketchum’s Vintage chef Rodrigo Herrera went for $29,000 during the first go-around and $18,000 the second. And the annual Idaho Lumber Bowl flag football game and tailgate party at Angi and Todd Hunter’s Three Broncs Ranch in Bellevue went for $8,000—this game featuring former Boise State quarterbacks Jared Zabransky and Taylor Tharp and wide receiver Vinny Perretta.

Camp Rainbow Gold serves 400 Idaho families, many of whom take part in overnights at its Hidden Paradise Camp near Fairfield. The camp is also utilized by other organization that need medical support for their campers.

Lynn Weigand and Tod Burton, who sold raffle tickets for a Gold Bar Cart featuring 44 Degree North Vodka mixers and accessories, said it was a cause they could get behind.

Omar and Morgan Al-Hayderi have supported Camp Rainbow Gold ever since they were kids—when a friend of theirs attended Camp Rainbow Gold.

“I have a friend who’s a pediatric oncologist who volunteers for camp so I thought volunteering for this would be a good way for me to support it,” said Weigand.