Party, Play, and Give Back: Cody Medical Foundation’s June Events You Can’t Miss!
The Cody Medical Foundation is holding events this June that are full of family fun while raising funds for a good cause. Let’s take a look!
Frontier Festival Kickoff Party – Thursday, June 5
The Kickoff Party for the Festival is this year’s main fundraising event for the Cody Medical Foundation. It takes place on Thursday, June 5th, at the Cody Auditorium. The event will include a dinner by Gourmet to Go, entertainment by the Can-Can Girls, a lively Calcutta for the Horse Packing Event, and, of course, music and dancing.
Tickets are $100 per person.
Frontier Festival – Saturday & Sunday June 7 & 8
This June, the Cody Medical Foundation is bringing back the Frontier Festival. A favorite family-friendly event from years past, the festival celebrates skills needed on the frontier. There will be many demonstrations, including flint napping, soap making, carriage rides, and a dog demo. One of the highlights will be the horse packing contest on Saturday, June 7th. Eight teams will compete for the $2000 first prize. The festival will be on Saturday and Sunday, June 7th and 8th.
Tickets are $10 each for individuals and $20 for families.
Beck Lake Challenge – Saturday, June 14
The Beck Lake Challenge is a walk for mental health. It is a gathering in one place and doing something to challenge ourselves, as well as sharing an event with others to show and promote understanding and acceptance of mental illness and increase mental health. Move at your pace and distance. Walk/Run/Dance/Rollerblade/Bike…come out and be active! Pets are welcome!
Lunch served from 11:00 to 12:30. $10 Adults and $5 Children.
Rubber Duck Retrieving Championship – Saturday, June 14
Following the Beck Lake Challenge, the Foundation has collaborated with 3 Dog Rescue’s Rubber Duck Retrieving Championship at Beck Lake. They are pre-selling rubber ducks with numbers assigned to them. On the day of the event, three special retrievers will race to retrieve a duck individually and draw the winners! You can also sponsor one of the retrievers.
The Cody Medical Foundation
The creation of the Cody Medical Foundation began in the late 1930s when there was a need for a public hospital. Led by several Cody women’s organizations, fundraising began, and the Cody Memorial Hospital Association was founded. Donations poured in, and on July 24th, 1940, the new Cody Hospital was dedicated. When the hospital was operated at a loss, philanthropist W.R. Coe and his family made up the shortfall. The W.R. Coe Medical Trust was established in 1955 and became the Cody Medical Foundation in 1976.
The Cody Medical Foundation’s charter requires that its activities enhance and benefit the medical needs of West Park Hospital District, which serves the towns of Cody and Meeteetse. The foundation is committed to the hospital’s educational goals, improving community health, and providing access to care. In recent years, the foundation has:
- In 2023, donated $7,500 to help fund a Telehealth booth, which now provides easy access for all in Park County.
- Made loan guarantees and paid moving expenses for medical professionals who relocate to Cody.
- Assisted with the recruitment of physicians and other professionals to Cody Regional Health and Yellowstone Park Medical Services.
- Sponsored or supported Special Olympics, Yellowstone Behavioral Health Center, Children’s Resource Center, Cody Senior Citizens and Northwest Wyoming Family Planning, Bright Futures, Seedlings Center, Health Resource Center
- Helped support the Cancer Treatment Center, Cody Quad Center, and the Serenity Garden at the Spirit Mountain Hospice House.
The funds from this year’s fundraiser will benefit scholarships for seniors, finish the signage at the Coe Shelter at Beck Lake, and assist the Drug Court.
The Cody Medical Foundation proudly continues W.R. Coe’s legacy of giving to the healthcare community to this day. W. R. Coe came to Cody in 1908 and provided generous funding for many improvements in the Cody medical community.
Article by Janet Jones
Owner of Cody Journal and SnowMoon Photography
Janet has a rich history in Cody with her grandparents moving here in the late 1930s. Her grandfather started Wyoming Well Service. Janet is a writer, photographer, graphic designer and webmaster. Cody Journal and Cody Calendar blends her skills and talents with her love of the area.