Whether it was a onesie, a shirt, shoes or a tie, virtually everybody in attendance was wearing flannel in some form or fashion at the sixth annual “Flannel Fest” Red Kettle Gala to benefit the Kroc Center. 

Roughly 200 people attended to bid on items, prizes and donate to outreach programs the Kroc Center offers.

“It's easy to see the Kroc Center and think of a fitness center, but it just goes so much farther beyond that,” Kevin Jester, a member of the Kroc Center’s advisory board said. “What this evening is all about is outreach into the community.”

The Kroc Center offers multiple outreach programs, including Third Grade Swim which teaches third graders how to swim. In an area with plenty of lakes and rivers, learning how to swim could save a life.

“Every single third grader in Kootenai County, from 33 different schools and homeschool co-ops, can learn life-saving skills,” Kroc Center Director of Development Amy Voeller said.

Other programs offered give clothes for kids and help with mental health resources.

“We take them shopping for clothes for a child all the way up and through high school,” Voeller said. “No clothing program locally serves high school kids except this program. We also provided mental health vouchers to over 100 people for eight sessions or more of counseling.”

The Kroc Center raised $250,000 this year thanks in part to donors like Sue Thilo.

“It’s a community asset that changes lives, so I will always support the Salvation Army Kroc Center because it turns no one away,” Thilo said. “Everyone is welcome, and lives are changed in a good way.”

This year’s theme of the gala was “Woven Together,” meant to symbolize how interconnected all lives are and to “form a circle of support” around the community. 

“Woven together means collaborating with community partners and working together to solve problems,” Kroc Center Executive Director and pastor Jeff Boyd said. “Problems come up and we’ll do something about it, but we can’t do it alone. We have the ability and the capacity to have a lot of programming that really supports the community, but it takes donor support.”

Boyd’s wife and fellow executive director and pastor Kristin said the Flannel Fest Gala was a great way to connect with others.

“We share stories, share impact, and just bring hope to those that are in need," she said. "Everybody here has different stories of how the Kroc Center has impacted their life, and it's inspiring to hear the stories around the room.”

The Kroc Center has been helping people in Kootenai County since 2009.

“We're always looking for gaps in the community to step into, which is really meaningful,” Voeller said. “We don't want to duplicate things that other organizations are doing. We're collaborating and working alongside other organizations that are doing really good work in the community.”

    Donor Sue Thilo congratulates another person for their donation during the Kroc Center's Flannel Fest Red Kettle Gala.