SV Tour De Force Selects Hunger Coalition As Beneficiary
By Eric Valentine
It’s the organization that feeds the Valley that will reap the benefit of one of the Valley’s newest and most generous nonprofits. Sun Valley Tour de Force announced last week that The Hunger Coalition has been named their next event beneficiary.
Sun Valley Tour de Force received roughly 20 applications from local nonprofits of all sizes, each of them vying for the coveted partnership, which includes two years of donations, marketing support, public relations, and an introduction to new donors from outside the Valley.
“We were thrilled to see so many organizations apply for the partnership,” said Maya Blix, co-producer of Sun Valley Tour de Force. “There are many deserving organizations in the Valley and it was a true pleasure to learn more about those missions and the wonderful people working tirelessly every day to advance their impact.”
Sun Valley Tour de Force, which will be held July 23–25, 2020, includes three days of events for drivers, sponsors and guests. Events feature high-speed runs at Phantom Hill, the Huckleberry Drive from Ketchum to Smiley Creek Lodge, hosted sponsor events, the downtown car show packed with rare collectibles, supercars and adoring fans, and the Saturday evening Cars & Comedy, the chief fundraising event of the weekend hosted at Limelight Hotel.
The Hunger Coalition (THC) currently serves over 18 percent of the county—just under 4,000 people, half of whom are children—and manages over 10 food-related programs, including a food pantry, community farm and garden, and children’s food programs. While the organization is currently serving one in six local people, studies show that one in three are considered food insecure or one crisis away. In order to close this gap and double the number of people it serves, THC is transitioning to a new property that will triple its size and provide more stigma-free opportunities for locals to access food. The dream is of an updated facility and expanded farm, community kitchen, heated greenhouses, and a discounted grocery market. With plans to break ground on this dream in May of 2020, this partnership comes at an essential time for the organization.
“We are at a pivotal phase in our organization,” said Jeanne Liston, executive director of The Hunger Coalition. “With the demand for stigma-free programs like Volunteer for Veggies and Bloom Truck on the rise, we are determined to provide more opportunities for our neighbors to access food in dignified ways and be a part of a multidimensional solution to food insecurity.
“This incredible opportunity with SVTdF will help propel us forward to meet this ambitious goal, and we’re excited to welcome SVTdF guests into our Good Food Community.”
Partnering with Sun Valley Tour de Force comes with countless benefits. THC will gain exposure to a new audience of donors, build stronger community awareness and association with a professionally produced, reputable event. The benefits of this partnership will long outlive the event itself. When harnessed properly, this opportunity offers recipients the possibility to create lifelong donors and take an organization and the people it serves to new heights.
“We are proud to help promote The Hunger Coalition and we know that our drivers and guests will feel confident giving to such a worthy cause,” said Whitney Werth Slade, Sun Valley Tour de Force co-producer and Intrepid Events, Inc., president.
In October 2019, Sun Valley Tour de Force presented its first beneficiary, Idaho BaseCamp, with a donation worth over $100,000, which included a check for $65,000 and a 2018 Ford Sprinter van. In 2018, its first year, Sun Valley Tour de Force donated $16,000 to Idaho BaseCamp.