The Helena Building Industry Association (HBIA) held its 2021 Christmas Party last Thursday at the Colonial Hotel. The annual event provides members and their guests an opportunity to celebrate together but also to offer assistance to fellow members in need. The HBIA founded the non-profit “Home Builders with Hearts” to help support members of the local building industry community through times of medically-induced financial hardship. The fund is available to all HBIA members, including members’ employees and family. “Whether the need for financial help is travel expenses for medical appointments, a medical bill, or support for time out of work due to treatment, Home Builders with Hearts can help,” said Executive Officer Darcy Larson. “No request for funds is too small!” The HBIA Christmas Party included live and silent auctions of donated gift-filled baskets, goods and services to benefit Home Builders with Hearts and for 2021 recipients, Kevin and Laurel Assay. Kevin was diagnosed with an aggressive and invasive form of colorectal cancer in October 2020. Soon after his diagnosis, he and his wife, Laurel, travelled to Arizona for five months of homeopathic treatments, chemotherapy and radiation. Upon returning to Montana in April, Kevin finished the last of his chemo and then had surgery in Kalispell. At the beginning of August, Kevin went in for a PET scan and check-up to see how the fight against the cancer was progressing and they received devastating news that the cancer had metastasized to Kevin's liver, lungs and lymph nodes. Kevin subsequently started treatment at the Oasis of Home Treatment Center in Mexico. Anyone who would like to contribute to the fund to help recipients like Kevin and Laurel or to make a request for funds should visit www.helenabia.com and click on the Home Builders with Hearts tab at the top of the page.