2008 was a special year for the band  as it was also the 25th anniversary of the band’s first trip to Butte and we were also very honored to play at Mariah’s Challenge.

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Mariah Daye McCarthy was tragically killed on October 28, 2007, by an underage driver who had been drinking. At the funeral services Mariah’s father, Leo McCarthy, issued a challenge to the Butte community and especially to Butte’s young people. “Let’s prevent drinking and destructive decisions from taking any more of Butte’s most valuable asset – its youth.”  The Butte community has taken the challenge to heart. Thousands of students, parents, and friends have accepted the challenge. The word has spread to other communities throughout Montana, and is now moving through the country.

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The Mariah Daye McCarthy Scholarship Foundation is dedicated to education and the prevention of underage drinking and driving in Montana. The non–profit organization provides scholarships to students who uphold the foundation’s ideals and supports education, events and dialogue in communities that promote healthy, responsible lifestyles. Learn more at mariahschallenge.com.

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The second gallery of photos were taking during our visit to John Fitzgerald Kennedy Elementary school in Butte.