Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the Flathead received a special boost Monday when the Halt Cancer at X committee awarded more than $71,000 in grants to three local organizations and a national research project.

The Halt Cancer at X program, which raises money for breast cancer research, was started four years ago in memory of Rebecca Broussard, founder of the Event at Rebecca Farm. Broussard died of breast cancer five years ago. The program’s name comes from the dressage test — where the first movement is for the rider to halt the horse at X, a station marked in the arena.

The local awards were $5,000 to Flathead Valley Cancer Chicks, a survivors group; $5,000 to Flathead Cancer Aid Services, which provides nutritional support to patients; and $11,500 to Cancer Support Community Kalispell, a new local support resource for cancer patients. Those awards, plus $50,000 granted to a science project at the University of Utah’s studying cancer cell survival, will help to make a difference in many lives.

To help this program continue, you may make a donation at http://www.rebeccafarm.org/ShopCartUser/

Crosstown craze

Tonight should feature a crosstown game for the ages.

The 6-2 Glacier Wolfpack and the 5-3 Flathead Braves take the field at Legends Stadium in a pivotal battle not just for Kalispell bragging rights but more importantly for seeding positions heading into Class AA football playoffs in two weeks.

The teams, both near the top in Class AA standings, appear closely matched for this year’s crosstown showdown. Both teams feature strong running games and versatile offenses and have had plenty of success on the gridiron this season.

This will be the ninth game in the Flathead-Glacier football series and it promises to be the best one yet