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Sun Valley Tour de Force Gifts the Hunger Coalition
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Thursday, October 21, 2021
 

BY KAREN BOSSICK

The need for speed has translated into $175,000 for The Hunger Coalition.

Organizers of Sun Valley Tour de Force presented a $175,000 check to the Bellevue non-profit Tuesday afternoon. The money was raised through nine car-related events, including the always popular high-speed runs at Phantom Hill organized as part of Sun Valley Tour de Force in July.

“After a year and a half of unprecedented need, this gift couldn't come at a better time,” said Krista Felton, development manager for The Hunger Coalition. “This sizable donation will fuel our Healthy Food Pantry for four to five months, providing nearly 5,500 grocery carts full of nutritious food for our neighbors.”

This year’s Sun Valley Tour de Force—the fourth—grew substantially in new driver attendance, sponsor support and total donations, despite the challenges that the COVID pandemic presented. Organizers raised money through driver’s fees, sponsorships and ticket sales at the Cars & Comedy dinner, comedy show and live auction; the Huckleberry Drive from Sun Valley to the Stanley Basin, and the high-speed runs where drivers are allowed to take their cars over 200 miles per hour with the approval of local law enforcement.

Every event this year was sold out, with drivers bidding on such items as Porsche and BMW driving schools, a rare TAG Heuer timepiece and a Scott eBike. Two bidders spent $7,000 each to take home  2021 driver-autographed “No Speed Limit road signs.

“This event is a labor of love for our small but mighty team. It’s due to the help of our volunteers and community support that we can produce an event of this size and stature,” said Sun Valley Tour de Force Co-Founder Whitney Slade. “We are forever grateful to our local businesses for their partnership with us. Without their help we simply wouldn’t be able to make this donation.”

Founded in 2018, Sun Valley Tour de Force granted $16,000 to Idaho BaseCamp, its first beneficiary. The money paid for 52 Bellevue and Mackay public school fifth-graders to attend overnight camp. Just one year later, the donation grew to $65,000, paying for a Ford Sprinter van to carpool BaseCamp campers to a new South Valley afterschool program, in addition to funding the fifth-grade Outdoor Adventure Camps.

Sun Valley Tour de Force was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID, but several high-speed drivers donated their fees, enabling the organization to make a $15,000 donation to The Hunger Coalition.

“This event is a wonderful example of how we strive to collaborate with key partners to further our mission and improve the health of our community,” said Paul Ahern, The Hunger Coalition’s board chair.

The 2022 driver registrations will open in January 2022. To learn how to take part as a participant, event partner, sponsor or volunteer, visit www.sunvalleytourdeforce.com or email info@sunvalleytourdeforce.com

 


 

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