LINCOLN — It may sound and look like chaos, but beneath the noise and sawdust are bears, moose, Bigfoot, and much more, all to support families battling childhood cancer.
(Hear from the artists who are working to support the Sam's Hope's mission.)
"You get to create emotion out of people's happiness, usually," said Hayden Wright, a chainsaw carver based in Washington.
Happiness is on full display at Lambkins as the legacy of Sam Kolve lives on.
"It is just awe-inspiring," said Val Clark, the Sam's Hope Chainsaw Carving Competition coordinator.
The chainsaw carving competition began three years ago to support Sam's Hope's mission, which provides financial assistance to children battling cancer across Montana.
Sam passed away from cancer at the age of 15.
Clark's husband is a carver local to Lincoln and had an idea on how to raise money for the foundation.
"We will get a couple of friends together and carve some stuff and have an auction, and that's how it was born," said Clark.
The competition raised around 80 thousand dollars last year and has grown to 9 carvers, one traveling from as far away as Argentina.
"We get to have fun and create the artwork that we already enjoy doing, and to be able to raise money for a good cause and change people's lives, hopefully," Wright, the reigning champion, says. "At the end of the day is indescribable."
Carvers have four days to work on their masterpiece, carving them from giant logs harvested in the area.
There are also separate mini carving competitions twice each day.
Local logs have morphed into massive artwork, sawdust for farms, and firewood, all with the help of businesses and volunteers.
Clark says, "The symbolism is the logging community with chainsaw art for charity, it just all comes together beautifully."
The competition runs through Sunday with auctions at 7 pm Saturday and 1 pm Sunday.
For more information on Sam’s Hope Foundation and this year’s competitors, you can visit this website.
