Last weekend was one for the books! It was another successful year for Meg Murphy and her Connecting for the Cancer Cure committee as they hosted their annual golf and corn hole tournament.

Over 150 golfers, new and old, came out to show their support for the Hall of Fame coach. Meg started the golf tournament in collaboration with her longtime friend, Ann Watson, many years ago.

The tournament began as a way to raise money for cancer patients in our Butte community. After 8 years, Meg and crew decided to reach out to the St. James Foundation to help them distribute the money. Meg and one of her former softball players, Kacie Briney, Director of Development for the St. James Foundation, started a collaboration that has raised over $137,000 for the St. James Cancer Center and local patients.

The money was initially used to help cancer patients with gas and lodging assistance when traveling to and from appointments. It also helped with costly prescription co-pays, hats, scarves, blankets, and water bottles. Today, the dollars raised have brought some significant and impactful brick-and-mortar projects to life. It has also helped fund important programs like Southwest Montana’s lymphedema program. These funds began the St. James Cancer Center’s first endowment. The tournament has also funded a consultation room for patient and physician privacy. Most recently, it gave a significant gift toward the Cancer Center and Women’s Imaging’s latest pipe dream; a mobile mammography van.

The Foundation has raised just over $300,000 to bring this unit to the women of southwest Montana. The most recent gift from the Connecting for the Cancer Cure golf tournament was the cherry on top. In fact, the CFTCC’s 2-year commitment will get their “name in lights” right on the back of the van. 1 in 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. Sadly, mammography numbers in southwest Montana are among the lowest in the nation. St. James has determined part of that is due to access of care. The mobile mammography van will help provide this access by traveling directly to smaller towns, or, for Butte, right outside their place of work.

To say that the partnership between Connecting for the Cancer Cure and the St. James Foundation was serendipitous is an understatement. It was meant to be. The hope of Meg, Ginger, Michelle, Deann, Vinnie, Bev, Tammy, Jack, Pati, the rest of the Connecting for the Cancer Cure committee, and the St. James Foundation is that this fundraiser lives on for a lifetime and beyond.