'Superheroes' help others find their strength
Find Your Strength Family Fun Run volunteer Amelia Boyd reaches out to give a high five to a young run at the entrance to Sandpoint City Beach as he nears the finish line in the 1K iteration of the run.
Photo by CAROLINE LOBSINGER
Becky Haag of Sandpoint gives a leap of joy as she takes part in Saturday's Find Your Strength Family Fun Run.
Jake and Juliet Franklin are surrounded by the bubbles at the Find Your Strength Family Fun Run afterparty.
Clay Demastus runs along the Sand Creek Trail during the 5K race of Bonner General Health's Family Fun Run on Saturday.
Youngsters are surrounded by bubbles at the Find Your Strength after-party on Saturday, Sept. 14.
Theo Vanderbeek, left, and Kai Sinatra, right, race along Sand Creek in the 5K run during Saturday's Find Your Strength Family Fun Run. Sinatra would go on to edge Vanderbeek by two seconds in the 10-14 male division.
Jude Laughridge races along Sand Creek during the Find Your Strength Family Fun Run on Saturday.
Vivian Schuck, left, and Kendel Roos take part in the Find Your Strength Family Fun Run on Saturday.
Avalon Gillis takes part in the Find Your Strength Family Fun Run on Saturday.
Eli Boekenoogen charges ahead of his dad, Scott Boekenoogen, during Saturday's Find Your Strength Family Fun Run.
Gavin Schuck, who came dressed as an alien superhero, waits for the start of the 1K race during Saturday's Find Your Strength Family Fun Run.
Alesia Leblanc and Jeffrey Leblanc approach the finish line of the 5K race in the Find Your Strength Family Fun Run.
Steve and Richard Neuder take off from the starting line at the start of the 1K race as part of the Find Your Strength Family Fun Run on Saturday.
A group of runners race along Bridge Street as they approach the finish line during Saturrday's Find Your Strength Family Fun Run's 1K race.
Alesia Leblanc and Jeffrey Leblanc approach the finish line of the 5K race in the Find Your Strength Family Fun Run.
Find Your Strength Fun Run volunteers cheer on runners.
Find Your Strength Family Fun Run 1K racers wait for the start of the race.
Amelia Boyd gives Isabel Hollriegel a high five as she enter the home stretch of the Find Your Strength's Family Fun Run's 5K race.
Runners approach the finish line of the Find Your Strength Family Fun Run's 1K race.
While the crowd might have been a little smaller, the impact of the Find Your Strength Fun Run is immeasurable.
However, in addition to raising funds for Bonner General Health Hometown Health Grants, the event is just plain fun, according to several of the runners, most of whom came with friends or family.
And that's just how BGH officials want it. The annual run, now in its third year, is designed to be a fun and engaging event for participants of all ages, BGH officials said. With a superhero theme, many of the runners came dressed as their favorite superheroes or created one of their own, and families can come dressed as their favorite superheroes or design a costume for their own spin on a superhero like Gavin Schuck, who came dressed as an alien superhero.
Schuck said he wanted something different and repurposed a past inflatable alien Halloween costume by adding a cape and other touches to make his own superhero.
"I wanted something fun," the youth said.
From Superman and Deadpool to butterflies to Schuck's alien, the superheroes ran the gamut at Saturday's event, which featured both a 5K race down the Sand Creek Trail and a 1K version designed for the younger crowd.
From the walkers to the runners, all taking part at Find Your Strength said they were attracted by the fun of the race and the chance to raise money that benefits the community's health.
Bonner General Health officials welcomed the crowd to the run, now in its third year, telling them that their enthusiasm for the event helped fund the hospital's Hometown Health grants.
"The Hometown Health Care Program provides money for internal grants for hospital or clinic needs not covered under the current budget," Kate McAlister, BGH Foundation coordinator, told the crowd. "This year, we hope to give away $50,000 in grants."
For Kendal Roos, the race is something that she and her family look forward to every year, with her kids asking her several months in advance when the "superhero" race was going to be.
"I think I've done it every year, and I love it," Roos said. "It goes back to how it kind of brings the community together. I love the cause."
Roos said her family loves dressing up as superheroes for the event, with the activities serving as an added bonus. The inflatable bounce house is a particular favorite, as is the face painting booth.
While the costumes vary each year — this year, it was Batman and Deadpool, Superman and Wonder Woman — is always fun to get together as a family and a community to celebrate each other and raise money for needed hospital programs, Roos said.
"The fact that we live in this beautiful place and we can do something like this," she said. "There's not a lot of things that bring our community together, so it's something we can do to do that, and it's a great cause, too," added Roos.
Adding to the fun is the after-party with everything from a bubble-filled obstacle course to a face painting booth to the chance to build a glider, among other activities.
The funds raised during our community run will go towards our Hometown Health Grants initiative. This program identifies needs within our hospital as introduced by department managers. Every department is offered a chance to apply for one or multiple projects if needed. In 2023, we had a record year with over $50,000 being awarded amongst 10 applicants. Crucial equipment such as vital monitors and state-of-the-art microscopes to better serve the patients at Bonner General Hospital are examples of grants awarded. These grants ensure that the Sandpoint hospital can continue to provide high-quality healthcare services to our community.
"All of your entry fees, etc., go to help our local hospital, and we are so thankful for your support," she said.
The Hometown Health program targets needs at BGH as identified by department managers. All departments have an opportunity to apply for one or multiple projects. In 2023, the hospital awarded over $50,000 to 10 applicants. Among the equipment funded through the grant program are vital monitors and a state-of-the-art microscope.
Also funded was a poison prevention program, which taught elementary students ways to identify common poisons and how to avoid them; and a surgical service electronic patient track board, which will keep families updated on patients' status.
"These grants ensure that our hospital can continue to provide high-quality healthcare services to our community," McAlister said.
Becky Haag of Sandpoint gives a leap of joy as she takes part in Saturday's Find Your Strength Family Fun Run.
Jake and Juliet Franklin are surrounded by the bubbles at the Find Your Strength Family Fun Run afterparty. 
Isaiah, Adeline and Emory Beck give their best superhero post before the start of the Find Your Strength Family Fun Run.
Clay Demastus runs along the Sand Creek Trail during the 5K race of Bonner General Health's Family Fun Run on Saturday.
Youngsters are surrounded by bubbles at the Find Your Strength after-party on Saturday, Sept. 14.
Find Your Strength Fun Run volunteers ring cowbells to cheer on runners.
Theo Vanderbeek, left, and Kai Sinatra, right, race along Sand Creek in the 5K run during Saturday's Find Your Strength Family Fun Run. Sinatra would go on to edge Vanderbeek by two seconds in the 10-14 male division.
Jude Laughridge races along Sand Creek during the Find Your Strength Family Fun Run on Saturday.
Vivian Schuck, left, and Kendel Roos take part in the Find Your Strength Family Fun Run on Saturday.
Avalon Gillis takes part in the Find Your Strength Family Fun Run on Saturday.
Eli Boekenoogen charges ahead of his dad, Scott Boekenoogen, during Saturday's Find Your Strength Family Fun Run.
Gavin Schuck, who came dressed as an alien superhero, waits for the start of the 1K race during Saturday's Find Your Strength Family Fun Run.
Steve and Richard Neuder take off from the starting line at the start of the 1K race as part of the Find Your Strength Family Fun Run on Saturday.
A group of runners race along Bridge Street as they approach the finish line during Saturrday's Find Your Strength Family Fun Run's 1K race.
Alesia Leblanc and Jeffrey Leblanc approach the finish line of the 5K race in the Find Your Strength Family Fun Run.
Find Your Strength Fun Run volunteers cheer on runners.
Find Your Strength Family Fun Run 1K racers wait for the start of the race.
Amelia Boyd gives Isabel Hollriegel a high five as she enter the home stretch of the Find Your Strength's Family Fun Run's 5K race.
Runners approach the finish line of the Find Your Strength Family Fun Run's 1K race.