After a fire last month in Idaho City destroyed four iconic businesses, the small town has been trying to bounce back. This Sunday, a group is hosting a fundraiser called the Idaho City Burn Out Bash, which organizers hope will bring people to the town during the normally busy tourist season.
The day-long schedule includes a 5K race, a pancake breakfast, music and auctions. Michelle Audette is the organizer of the event, and she’s also the Idaho City postmaster. She says the goal is to raise as much money as possible for the businessowners.
“There’s not really a set [fundraising] goal I guess," Audette says. "We just wanted to see if there was any help we could give these businesses to pay for income and wages lost during the tourist season.”
Three of the four businesses that burned down have already opened in new spots in town, but Audette says things have definitely changed in Idaho City since the fire.
“It’s been really difficult, I think there’s been a lot of uncertainty, concern whether or not people were still going to come up and visit our town during the summer. A lot of people had heard that the entire town of Idaho City had burned down which was not the case, a very important boardwalk obviously when you first come in to town.”
But she says the outpouring of support from people in the Treasure Valley – many of whom go to the town as a weekend escape – has been humbling. Audette says any money raised will be spread out among the four businesses.
Find Frankie Barnhill on Twitter @FABarnhill
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