(0:00) Joining me live in studio right now this morning is Lincoln County Sheriff Shane Johnson, (0:04) also Matt McMurdo, commander for the Star Valley Search and Rescue today. (0:09) Sheriff Johnson, Commander McMurdo, good morning. How are you guys doing both today? (0:13) Morning.

Good morning. Good. Doing good.

(0:15) Appreciate you coming in to chat. Of course, Sheriff, this is your monthly occurrence. (0:20) Matt, we appreciate you joining him here today to talk about the Kentucky Derby giveaway.

(0:25) This is a pretty cool thing, Sheriff. (0:29) Big deal. (0:29) Yeah.

Tell us how this all came together. (0:31) Well, so at least a year ago, we recognized the need with the search and rescue units for a new (0:40) vehicle, a vehicle to haul their equipment to emergency situations where they’re saving lives (0:47) and everything they have is dated, and we recognize that need. And I guess I’d just (0:54) describe as what we, with frustration in the regular budgeting process to get these trucks, (1:03) we decided to get creative.

We had some amazing support on the back end to get this done, (1:10) and we decided to do a raffle. We were able to secure a trip to the Kentucky Derby, all expenses. (1:19) It’s not just, like you mentioned earlier, it’s not just tickets, it’s a whole experience.

(1:24) And I guess parlay that, for lack of a better word, into a drawing and get these trucks bought (1:29) that are needed and don’t make these volunteer search and rescue units wait any longer for the (1:36) equipment that they need to get their job done. (1:38) Yeah. And it’s for both the Star Valley and Lincoln County units, correct? (1:42) Yeah.

Both units, a truck for each one equipped with the equipment that they need. And that’s (1:48) 100% of what’s spent on these tickets will go to that. None of it’s going to cover the cost of the (1:55) trip, to cover the posters that we’ve done or any of the other things that we’ve done to promote (2:01) this.

100% of it goes towards these trucks. So it’s a big deal. (2:05) Yeah.

I know you have Fishing Dog Foundation is covering a lot of those expenses that you’ve (2:09) talked about. And so that’s made it possible to really do 100% proceeds and go to the fundraisers. (2:15) Yeah.

Every bit of it. (2:16) Yeah. Commander Matt McMurdo in studio.

So let’s talk about the need a little more, (2:20) Matt, with these trucks. What exactly will they do and how will they benefit the departments? (2:25) So the new trucks will help us tow the trailers. We have, like Sheriff said, (2:30) some outdated trucks that we’re just trying to catch up and be able to pull our Snowmobile (2:35) trailers, the jet boat, our side-by-sides, so we can get to these rescues with all our equipment (2:45) and in a timely fashion.

Yeah, absolutely. And so what is the cost (2:51) on just one of these things, Ron? How much money do you need to make here? (2:55) So the cost of just a truck alone is about $90,000 and then the rest will go towards equipping it. (3:04) So we’re looking at $125,000 for us and $125,000 for Lincoln.

(3:11) Yeah. And so the more raffle tickets you buy, the better your chances to win, (3:17) right? Plus it really does go towards this great cause. And this is something I’m assuming, Matt, (3:22) this is something I’m assuming you’re not going to use just once in a while.

You guys get called (3:27) out I think a lot more than people realize and this is going to be used on a regular basis, right? (3:32) Yes. This truck will be used on a regular basis. Where we’re sitting right now, so far this year, (3:37) we’ve had nine calls this year and I think Lincoln is sitting at right around four or five.

(3:44) So it’s been a busy start to the year. Yeah. And it doesn’t, I mean, you think, (3:49) okay, well, it’s snowmobile season.

So yeah, but it doesn’t slow down. I mean, it just, (3:53) it’s a year round thing for you guys. Yeah.

It’s not slowing down. Last year, (3:57) we ended around 50 calls, which come, you know, it’s just going quick and things happen fast. (4:07) Yeah.

It kind of moves from snowmobile season to rafting season to hunting season. So year round. (4:14) And I just add to what Commander Murdo said.

These calls are not just go out and back. These, (4:22) in some cases, overnight calls, serious, serious injuries. So that’s a big deal.

And it’s important (4:30) that they have the proper equipment to be able to do what they need to do. I’ll just say real quick (4:36) to our search and rescue units are top in the state for a couple of reasons. They got great (4:41) people.

Great. And they’re all volunteers, as you know. They do great training and they get a lot (4:48) of experience too.

They’re very busy. Like I said, again, top in the state and we’re unique in that (4:54) we have two units here in Lincoln County. Yeah, absolutely.

And, and, and great equipment that (4:59) helps that along as well. And the fact that I’ve, I’ve, and I don’t want to speak out of term, but (5:05) you know, people think of the units in Teton County and Sublette County, but I mean, you guys (5:10) are just as busy if not even busier than those units, correct? With the search and rescues here (5:14) in Lincoln. So yeah, on this side of the state, we’re, we’re, we’re all busy, but again, we got (5:19) two units that are, they’re going sometimes at the same time and they, they compliment each other (5:24) on those calls.

So when needed. Lincoln County Sheriff Shane Johnson and Studio Star Valley (5:29) Search and Rescue Matt McMurdo also in studio. And again, this raffle benefits both the Star (5:33) Valley and Lincoln County Search and Rescues on both sides of the county, just to run down (5:38) in the VIP package, a four day, three night accommodations for two at the Marriott Griffin (5:45) Gate Resort in Lexington, Kentucky.

So it’s not just a, Oh, Hey, we’re going to put you up for a (5:49) night. It’s not the motel six. No, it’s not.

It’s a four days at the luxury. It includes meals. Of (5:58) course you can’t go to the Derby without the hat.

So it’s a hat design and shopping a horse farm (6:03) tour at the Derby. I mean, this really is the whole VIP experience as big as you can get it. (6:11) This is a, this is a dream trip, a chance of a lifetime trip of a lifetime type of deal.

And (6:18) again, that, that the winner of that trip will be picked from the donors. All, all the, anybody (6:26) that puts in gets a chance. Yeah.

Airfare included as well. I should mention that anywhere. I mean, (6:34) so you can, uh, you can purchase tickets.

There’s, there’s flyers around, uh, fishing (6:39) dog foundation.org. You can also go there, fishing dog foundation.org, uh, Sheriff anywhere else, (6:46) uh, that you can maybe say, Hey, if you want to, if you want to purchase some tickets, go here. (6:50) Yeah. Well, you could, you could contact any one of the search and rescue unit members and they (6:54) can guide you in the right direction.

That, that website, there’s a pretty good presence on social (6:58) media. We’re getting the word out there. Um, there’s a QR code that makes it really simple.

(7:03) If you, if you see a flyer or on the social media scan that QR code and it’ll take you right to the, (7:08) right to the page where you can do that. It’s pretty straightforward and simple once you get (7:14) there. Yeah.

Perfect. So again, fishing dog foundation.org we’ll do the drawing April 17th (7:21) live here on the weekday wake up. So looking forward to that, uh, Sheriff commander, anything (7:26) we missed on, on the need for this or about the fundraiser itself? I just want to add one thing, (7:31) which is this trip is amazing.

Um, but the, the ability for the people to get involved in this (7:39) County and give back to search and rescue. So if you don’t win the trip, that’s unfortunate. Only (7:44) one, you know, one person and a guest are going to get that.

But when those trucks go by responding (7:49) to an emergency and you recognize that you were a part of equipping that unit and helping save (7:55) lives, that’s a big deal too. So that’s what we want to, that’s the message we want to send is (7:59) this is a need that we can all participate in and we have high hopes for this. Yeah.

And you know, (8:05) Matt, when you kind of reflect on your time with search and rescue and the, and the incidents that (8:10) you’ve been involved in and the people you’ve been able to help, I mean, we’re, we’re talking, (8:14) Hey, the fanfare with the Kentucky Derby, but, uh, really this makes a real life-saving impact, (8:20) right? Yes, it does. It, like I said before, it definitely helps us get all the equipment out (8:25) to the parking lots, the trailheads that we need to make a difference in somebody’s bad day. (8:31) That’s Lincoln County Sheriff Shane Johnson, Starbuckley search and rescue commander Matt (8:35) McMurdo.

Again, we’ll have details posted online at sbidews.com, social media, and you’ll see (8:40) flyers around too. You can also go do fishingdogfoundation.org for more details. (8:45) Weekday wake up on the SBI radio network.