Oh, to be a kid again.

That was the vibe as more than 800 of the young at heart gathered for the 26^th St. Luke’s Kid For A Night, held June 1 at the Boise Centre.

Costumed adults took part in games and competitions in keeping with the night’s theme: Camp Onna Wanna Grow Up!

Youthful exuberance ruled the evening as guests participated in bull-riding, badminton, archery target practice, rock climbing, inflatable Twister, virtual-reality games and more.

Thanks to 57 sponsors, 257 Give a Gift participants, 61 volunteers and countless donors to the silent auctions, a record-breaking $550,799 was raised for kids at St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital.

While the event is all about fun, it gets serious results. Kids For A Night has raised more than $8.5 million since its inception in 1992.

Jared Eardley, a clinical supervisor at Norco’s Meridian location, was all smiles after a victorious game of Twister.

“This is our favorite event that happens every year, so we live for it,” Eardley said. “It’s fun to come and relax, and it all goes to a great cause. We’re a Boise-based company, so it’s great that we’re able to help in the community where we live.”

Brandon Sheltrown, an architect at Houston-Bugatsch Architects, has been a part of the Kid For A Night planning committee for more than a decade and served this year as event chairperson.

“It’s great to see all of the people,” said Sheltrown, decked out in full camp gear, complete with a backpack and fishing rod.

“Every year it gets bigger.”  

Custom Bears Delivered to St. Luke’s Youngest Patients

On June 14, volunteers walked door to door at St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital in Boise to deliver Miracle Bears and other stuffed animals to young patients.

Miracle Bears are custom-dressed teddy bears made specifically for Kid For A Night. The bears are sold during the event and either taken home or donated to the hospital for special delivery.

Bears sold during this year’s event raised $3,400, and of the 72 bears purchased that night, 67 were donated to the children’s hospital to be given to St. Luke’s youngest patients.