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Crowd at last year’s Sand Showdown fundraiser at the campground for St. Anthony sand dunes. | Courtesy Garrett McGroarty
ST. ANTHONY – An annual event designed to raise funds for Fremont County law enforcement is returning this weekend for its ninth year.
The owners of Idaho Extreme Adventures and Idaho Dunes RV in St. Anthony are hosting a sand showdown at the dunes on Saturday, Aug. 3.
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Company spokesman Garrett McGroarty, who is helping to organize the event, tells EastIdahoNews.com it will begin with a pancake breakfast for campers. Sand car races will happen from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The fundraising portion for the general public starts at 6:30 p.m. There will be a silent auction with raffle items donated by local sponsors, dinner provided by World’s Best Corndogs and a live concert by Butte, Montana country artist Levi Bloom.
All the proceeds will benefit the Fremont County chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, a labor organization that includes deputies with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office and officers with the St. Anthony Police and Ashton Police Departments.
Colter Cannon, a Fremont County deputy who serves as the organization’s president, explains how the donations are used.
“If officers are ever involved in a police shooting, lawsuit or legal matter, the FOP will actually hire an attorney to help cover their legal costs,” Cannon explains.
If officers are injured, donations can help cover medical costs or other family expenses. It’s also used to provide scholarships for high school seniors interested in a public service career.
Law enforcement frequently responds to emergencies at the sand dunes and the fundraiser stemmed from the McGroartys’ desire to give back and show their appreciation.
After an FOP fundraiser at Pond’s Lodge in 2017, Garrett’s dad, Mike, spoke with Cannon about hosting an outdoor event at his venue.
Cannon is grateful for his association with them over the years.
“Me, Mike and Garrett have a really good working relationship. We’re really close,” he says. “When I first started with the FOP, our bank account was very slim. If one of our guys got hurt or needed help, there was nothing we could do for them. The McGroartys have been a blessing for us.”
Between $40,000 and $45,000 were raised last year, the largest amount of money to date.
Garrett and Cannon are hoping for another good turnout this year. Those who’d like to donate cash or prizes can shoot an email to [email protected]. You can also donate through Venmo here.
Our attorneys tell us we need to put this disclaimer in stories involving fundraisers: EastIdahoNews.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries.
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