The buzz of chainsaws filled the air in Lincoln this weekend, but residents say the annual wood carving competition is creating something far bigger than handcrafted sculptures.
(WATCH: Competition carves out support for Lincoln businesses and Montana families)
Each year, talented chainsaw artists travel to Lincoln to transform massive logs into intricate works of art, drawing visitors from across Montana and beyond. While the event serves as one of the largest fundraisers for the Sam's Hope Foundation, community members say it has also become a major economic driver for the small town.
For Lambkins Restaurant owner and Sam's Hope Foundation founder Marge Kolve, the busiest weekend of the year is about more than serving meals.
"The restaurant's full, and people are excited to come and watch," Kolve said. "They sit out all day and watch the carvers."
The influx of visitors benefits nearly every business in Lincoln, from restaurants to lodging.
"It helps our hotel. We have a camper park, those are all full," Kolve said. "So, everybody’s full and busy for the whole weekend."
Lincoln resident and Sam's Hope Foundation volunteer Julee Kranz said the event's impact can be felt throughout town.
"It helps the community because the restaurants and all the hotels are booked," Kranz said.
The annual carving competition raises money for the Sam's Hope Foundation, which provides financial assistance to Montana families with a child battling cancer or another serious illness, helping cover expenses related to treatment.
Kolve and her family established the foundation after losing her son, Sam, to cancer in 2012.
"We decided to create the Sam's Hope Foundation in memory to pay it forward and help every family who went through what we did," Kolve said.
She said the carving competition has become one of the foundation's most important fundraisers.
"Our foundation [is] doing pretty well. The wood carving event helps with that every year," she said.
For organizers, however, the event has always been about more than raising money.
"It's combining community, charity and chainsaw," said event coordinator Val Clark.
Clark said the vision was to create an event that would not only support Montana families but also bring visitors and commerce into Lincoln.
"Our vision for that was to get the whole community involved, so bringing commerce to the community," Clark said. "But even more than that, partnering with the entire community."
That partnership is visible throughout the weekend, as businesses sponsor the event, volunteers help run activities and residents welcome visitors from near and far.
"Everyone in the community is a sponsor for this event, so it's literally partnering with Sam's Hope," Clark said. "This whole community is who makes this happen. The whole community has a sense of pride of putting this event on and representing Lincoln, Montana."
For Kolve, that community support is what makes the weekend so meaningful.
"The whole community comes together to help us," she said. "It's heartwarming. And it also makes me proud to be a part of this community."
While visitors leave with wood carvings purchased through the weekend's auctions, organizers hope they also leave with an appreciation for a town that has turned a unique event into a tradition of giving.
"This is a way bigger picture than just getting a chainsaw carving," Clark said.
