Fry Golf Tournament Follow-up

The Fry Healthcare Foundation’s 8th Annual Golf Tournament benefitting the Boundary Community Hospital was a wet one. But its supporters still showed up and played their best game, providing $7,781.00 in funding this year to help purchase equipment for the hospital’s emergency department.

Winners for the Flight A (players with lower handicaps) were locals Kevin Shea and Phil Pollacia; Shea also won the Accuracy Drive award. The tournament winners of Flight B were Travis Delaney and Jerry Jimenez; Delaney also made “Closest to the Pin.” Awards were given for the longest drive: Julie Williams for the women, and Jeremy Hill won the honors for the men. Hill also won for the longest putt. The event was held last month at the Mirror Lake Golf Course. Fifty-two players participated; each paid $50 to play 18 holes of golf and have dinner.

“We played a two-game format. The first nine holes everyone played a scramble, (and) the second nine holes we played Scotch Doubles. Everyone had a good time!” said Linda Hiatt, past president of the Fry Healthcare Foundation.

According to the Fry Healthcare Foundation, 275 golf balls were purchased at the Golf Ball Drop and was a popular event at the tournament. LifeFlight Network, a medical transport company, donated an LG 50-inch Smart TV as the grand prize for the golf ball that rolled into, or came closest to the 9th hole. Paul Reiss and family are this year’s lucky winner.

The Foundation helps to provide volunteers and fundraises to help purchase the latest equipment or support any planned construction or renovations to the hospital. Its purpose is to provide funding for items that are not in the hospital’s budget. In the past, the Foundation has purchased electric doors for the hospital’s extended care facility, carpet, beds, special chairs for an education center and a van to transport patients to doctor appointments outside of the hospital. In addition to supporting the hospital’s equipment and space needs, in the past it has purchased stuffed animals for the emergency department as part of the Veryl Lindsay Memorial Fund. Lindsay was a nurse who worked at the hospital until 1986. The stuffed animals are given to any patient, young or old, at the hospital who needs comfort.

The golf tournament is one of two fundraising events held by the Fry Healthcare Foundation to support the hospital’s services and patient programs. Each year, the money raised is dedicated to a different aspect of the hospital. Last year, the money raised during the Festival of Trees for the purchase of hand-held ultrasound devices. Earlier this year, the hospital acquired a mobile ultrasound machine for the emergency department using those funds. The Foundation has announced that the Festival of Trees event now be the Festival of Hearts to be held in mid-February of 2017. More information on this new tradition will be released in the coming months.

“We are excited to try something new and looking forward to working with our sponsors to make the Festival of Hearts a really special event,” Ms. Hiatt said. “Anyone who is interested in being a member of the Fry Healthcare Foundation is welcome to come join us. It’s always fun to have new ideas!”

The Fry Healthcare Foundation has raised and donated more than $1 million to the Boundary Community Hospital during its past 20 years. Next year, the event is planned for June 9, 2017.

The Fry Healthcare Foundation’s sponsors for the Golf Tournament included Rick and Janice Lozoya, Yellowstone Insurance Exchange, Kootenai Health, Idaho Forest Group, Gardiner Prime Angus Beef, Blanche Studer and Elaine Morgan, Columbia Bank, P1FCU, Karen and Richard English, Pace-Kerby & Co. Inc. and Riverside Auto Center. Auburn Crest Hospice, Judy Lovse, Blanche Studer, Elaine Morgan and Riverside Auto Center, Akins Harvest Foods, Edward Jones, Festival of Sandpoint, Sugar Plum Floral, Stone Ridge Golf Community, Triple Play Family Fun Park, and The Davenport Hotel donated prizes, cash and gift baskets.

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