Missoula Battles Cancer with Fun Night of Laughs and Tears

What a special night I had this past Saturday. A night where I could feel all the love and support for people battling cancer. The Camp Mak-a-Dream "Battle to Beat Cancer" took place this past weekend, and it was fantastic.

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For those not familiar with Camp-Mak-a-Dream, it is an 81-acre summer camp located in nearby Gold Creek, MT. The camp was built as a place for people battling cancer to escape the daily treatment routine and get some fresh mountain air. A place where kids can be kids and even "big" kids can be kids. No matter the diagnosis.

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Families from all over the country come to Montana every summer for a week of swimming, zip lines, horseback riding, and campfire songs. With on-site oncologists and nurses, it is a worry-free environment for those who are being treated for their illnesses.

BATTLE TO BEAT CANCER 2024

Running the camp isn't cheap. So far in 2024, 400 campers have confirmed that they will be attending camp. All FREE OF CHARGE! That is why we gathered this past weekend to raise funds for this very special cause.

9 bands battled it out for a shot at $500, plus the opportunity to show their support for the cause. Not to mention, 2 AMAZING dance performances from some VERY talented performers.

RHYTHMOS

• Rhythmos is a band from Missoula, and came together through Tangled Tones Music Studios program “Playing With the Band”.

PLACES CALLED HOME

• Places Called Home emo/punk/folk band led by Brandon Sturgell (rhythm guitar/lead vocals)

(latent)

• (latent) is a Missoula-based band that has been creating music for over a decade. The band is composed of Zack Buchholz, Nick Togliatti and Jake Swank.

PINEAPPLE INC

• A 3 part band with over a decade of experience. Be part of one of their first live shows.

Dawson Parker Reynoso

• Dawson is a 24-year-old singer/songwriter from Corvallis, MT. He started playing guitar at age 12, and started to write music at 16.

THE NEW NIGHTMARE

• Hard rock based out of Missoula with a sound similar to Alice in Chains and Mastodon

AMP DUO

• Abuv Limitz and DJ R.E.L are two brothers that make up the AMP DUO, which stands for Authentic Music Producers & Dedicated Underground Orators.

MORNING RELIC

• Morning Relic chose to join the battle simply because "We all had relatives who battled cancer."

SUSSEX SCHOOL POP ROCKS

• A group of seven members in grades fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth and we play the bass, guitar, drums, vocals, and keys.

2 Dance Performances are also scheduled to battle it out for the top prize of $500.

Dance Performances are:

Carroll-Henderson School of Irish Dance

• This dance crew has also been affected by cancer and will be giving a lasting performance to honor relatives they have lost to cancer.

OLLIE

• Ollie Wiesemann is a 12 year old dance superstar from Missoula. Ollie is excited to be part of such a huge night benefitting a great cause.

In the end, only one band came out on top.

• The WINNER of the 2024 "Battle to Beat Cancer" was Rhythmos.
• The top spot for dance was awarded to Ollie Wiesemann

It was an honor to be a part of this year's event. It was hard not to get emotional while watching all these fabulous performances and the fun energy of an amazing audience. Raising over $15,000. All to support those battling cancer. It truly was a beautiful night in Missoula.