A Sandpoint woman whose service spans food banks, therapeutic riding programs, school governance, and youth mentorship has been named a recipient of the 2026 Bonner County Women of Wisdom Lifetime Achievement Award. Rebecca Hawkins, a lifelong Bonner County resident and Sandpoint High School graduate, was selected alongside four fellow honorees for decades of sustained contributions to the community.
The Women of Wisdom Gala Luncheon took place Saturday, June 13, at Marigold Bistro in Sandpoint. Tickets were $40, and additional information was available by calling (208) 290-6362. Joining Hawkins as 2026 honorees are Dee Ann Smith, Nancy McAdam, Sharon Bistodeau, and Sue Brooks.
Decades of Service Across Multiple Fronts
Hawkins’ record of community engagement stretches back more than four decades and touches nearly every corner of Bonner County civic life. In the early 1980s, she co-founded Panhandle Horsemanship for the Handicapped, a program designed to serve residents with disabilities through equine-assisted activities. The organization reflected an early and enduring commitment to serving vulnerable populations in North Idaho.
On the food security front, Hawkins founded the Christ Our Redeemer Community Garden to address local hunger needs, and she has continued volunteering with Second Harvest food distributions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she organized a sewing effort and produced hundreds of masks for community members — a practical, hands-on response to a public health emergency when commercial supplies were scarce.
Her horticulture credentials are equally impressive. Hawkins is a certified Master Gardener and is recognized locally as a dahlia expert. She has served as both floral superintendent and judge at the Bonner County Fair, bringing that expertise to one of the region’s most beloved annual traditions.
Education, Leadership, and Youth Mentorship
Hawkins has invested heavily in Bonner County’s young people. Her mentorship work has run through 4-H, scouting programs, horse camps, sports programs, and broader educational outreach. She formerly coached volleyball at Clark Fork High School, and she sponsors an annual scholarship at Sandpoint High School specifically recognizing multi-sport student athletes — an award that reflects her belief in the value of well-rounded athletic participation.
Her influence on local education extends to the policy level as well. Hawkins served as an elected school board trustee and played a key role in passing a facilities levy that ultimately led to the construction of a new Sandpoint High School. That infrastructure investment continues to benefit students across the region to this day.
Hawkins has also hosted exchange students in her home, extending Bonner County’s sense of community to young people arriving from abroad. She sewed Christmas stockings for students at Lake Pend Oreille High School, a personal gesture that speaks to the kind of individual attention she has consistently brought to her volunteer work.
Faith, Fellowship, and Civic Organizations
Faith has been a guiding thread through much of Hawkins’ public service. She has served as president of Christ Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, the same congregation where she established the community garden. Her leadership in Beta Sigma Phi, a women’s service and cultural organization, has spanned more than 35 years — a tenure that underscores both her commitment to organized civic life and her staying power as a community institution in her own right.
The breadth of Hawkins’ work — from therapeutic riding in the Reagan era to mask-sewing during a global pandemic — illustrates a career of service defined less by any single cause than by a consistent willingness to meet the community’s needs as they arise. For Sandpoint and the broader Bonner County area, that kind of sustained, quiet dedication forms the backbone of community life.
What Comes Next
With the 2026 Women of Wisdom Gala now complete, attention turns to the continued legacy of this year’s honorees and the organizations they have built. Programs like Panhandle Horsemanship for the Handicapped and the Christ Our Redeemer Community Garden represent lasting community assets that will carry Hawkins’ impact well into the future. Residents wishing to learn more about the Women of Wisdom program or future events can call (208) 290-6362.