Chainsaw contest benefits Dayton girl

DAYTON " Chainsaws aren't normally seen as a tool to help someone with brain cancer, but a group of people at the East 50 Bar in Dayton found a way to do just that on Saturday.

What started out as a bar bet between two friends became a chainsaw contest that raised funds for Devree Hamblin, a Dayton High School freshman who is undergoing treatment for brain cancer at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

Glenn McFadden said he and friend Mike Pradere were talking one day about how fast they could saw through logs.

"He and I threw down a challenge, and I said, we need to get some logs and let's just try it," McFadden said. "I told him, let's do a fundraiser to help out this girl and make it a double positive."

Several large logs salvaged from the Angora Fire area in South Lake Tahoe were arranged behind the bar to challenge the contestants and their chainsaws.

A.J. King proved to be the fastest saw, with Pradere finishing second and Brandon Hinsz taking third.

Besides sawing logs, McFadden also helped make food for the event, with all sales going to help the Hamblin family.

"Everybody had a good time, and a whole bunch of people donated money to the cause," said Bob Wall, owner of the East 50 Bar.

Noble Hamblin also was in attendance to watch the fundraiser for his sister.

"The first time I heard about it, I thought, who is going to come out here and saw logs?" Noble said. "But there's a lot of people here today."

Noble said his sister has gone through most of her radiation treatment, and in about a week or so she'll be able to come home for a month. Then she will have to go back to St. Jude's.

Noble said people can keep in touch with Devree through the family's Web site at

hamblinsfamily.blogspot.com.

There also will be a spaghetti feed fundraiser for Devree at Dayton High School on March 11 at 6 p.m. Cost is $5 for adults, $3 for children, and $12 per family.

- Contact reporter Kirk Caraway at kcaraway@nevadaappeal.com or 775-881-1261.