The Red and Blue Gala: A Night in Monte Carlo on Saturday raised nearly $250,00 for the Red and Blue Foundation dedicated to helping first responders.  

About 400 people attended the event that included music, auctions, dinner and speakers at The Coeur d’Alene Resort. 

Meghan Harwood, widow of Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Frank Harwood who was slain June 29 in the Canfield Mountain ambush, addressed the crowd briefly.

She said she was grateful and honored for the foundation's help and called it a "remarkable organization." She said it provided her and her two daughters "with an extraordinary level of support during the most difficult time in our lives."

"They have asked nothing from us in return only that we feel love, compassion and care," she added. "They were there to protect us."

Meghan Harwood also praised the people of Kootenai County.

"I am truly honored on how this community has rallied around our family and supported us," she. "I feel the love."

Michele Bouit, chief financial officer of Kootenai Health, title sponsor of the fundraiser, praised first responders for their trust.

“You are not just partners in the work we do; you are part of the work we do,” she said.  

First responders, she said, are there for people in moments of chaos, fear and uncertainty. 

"You bring hope to people,” she said 

Bouit said the Red and Blue Foundation recognizes that caring for the community means caring for those who protect it.

“At Kootenai Health we are proud to stand beside you,” she said. 

The event raised $236,000, nearly double last year’s amount, including a $25,000 contribution from the Greater Coeur d’Alene Community Foundation. 

“Every sponsor, donor, attendee, and volunteer played a role in making this evening a success. Because of you, we’ll be able to fund mental health programs and so much more for local first responders throughout the next 12 months,” read an email from the foundation 

The foundation's mission is "to give back to our first responders, especially those who are injured, terminally ill, or killed in the line of duty."

It does this through fundraisers, grants and social awareness highlighting the needs of first responders who experience unforeseen catastrophes. It also supports dependents of first responders with scholarships and focuses on first responder mental health. 

"The fund was created to offset the tremendous expenses for our protectors and their families facing difficulties such as these," wrote Tom Hiltenbrand, president of Red and Blue Foundation.

Meghan said there were moments she and her daughters felt uncertain about what was to come and were met with compassion and protection.

"Because of this foundation, my daughters and I have not had to walk this journey alone," she said.

"The work you do matters, more than you may ever fully know. And it changes lives in real and meaningful ways," Meghan Harwood said. 

She thanked for the foundation for honoring her husband's life and being a source of light in their darkness days.

"I will be forever grateful," Meghan Harwood said.