Holiday of Hearts raises money for sheriff's relief fund
HERON – With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, the spirit of love is in the air. While people are planning their perfect date night, one Heron couple has bigger plans.
Nancy and Michael Masten of Amber Bear Inn are planning to have a special Valentine’s Day dinner to raise money for the Sanders County Sheriff’s Tree of Hearts program. The event is taking on the name Holiday of Hearts.
Every year the Mastens donate to the Tree of Hearts but this year they decided to take it to another level by fundraising for the relief fund.
The Amber Bear Inn will be offering a unique buffet for the event. The buffet includes a salad bar, Cajun sausage soup, cheddar biscuits, baked potatoes, veggie wild rice among other goodies and will cost $8. The hitch is in the unique Carnivore Corner offered.
Every ounce of meat costs $1 and there is a choice of prime rib, barbeque ribs and ham. All of the proceeds from the Carnivore Corner will go to the Tree of Hearts program.
“Someone could get a full ? pound of ribs and a buffet for $16. That’s a great price,” Nancy said.
Sanders County Sheriff Tom Rummel has volunteered, alongside his wife Shelly, and will be hard at work dishing out meat to those in attendance.
Not only will Rummel be volunteering his time but he will also be able to meet people from Heron, something that doesn’t always happen that often.
Nancy said it was good to get personnel from the sheriff’s department into the west end of the county for something other than a complaint.
“It’s a nice way to meet the west end community out here,” Nancy said.
Along with bountiful food and company, the event will also provide live music. The Clark Fork Coaches will travel from Clark Fork, Idaho to perform.
Nancy said the retired coaches put on a lively performance and are sure to be a crowd pleaser.
The hope is to raise as much money as possible for a cause the Mastens hold close to their hearts.
“Mike and I have given to the Sheriff’s Tree of Hearts on a number of occasions but this is our first active fundraiser like this,” Nancy said.
The program aims at providing children in need with a Christmas. Often times the gifts donated by the community are the only presents the kids will receive. The more money the Mastens raise, the more kids they are able to help.
“We anticipate a pretty good turn out for this,” Nancy said. “It should be a lively time.”
The event will run from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Valentine’s Day, Friday, February 14.
The Amber Bear Inn expects a good turn out from Sanders County and the close Idaho towns.