J Steven Baugh Medical Fund

Dear Family and Friends,

We are writing with a big “ask” for a very special person, Steve Baugh. Yes, that is the Steve of ‘Ben and Steve’. Ben and Steve have been partners for over 30 years, potters for much of that time, fiercely loved and respected by their families and friends, the glue of their little community outside of Wilsall, MT, and gifted artists of Muddy Creek Pottery. Much of their business for the past 27 years has been providing wholesale pottery (then used for fundraising) for the nonprofit Dano Youth Camp in Wyoming. Their Dano brand pottery has, in fact, become an integral part of the identity and fundraising of the camp and its mission.

Just when Ben and Steve were at a time in their lives when they were preparing for a tail wind, they were hit full force by a head wind.

Steve has been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a serious blood cancer.

He has been receiving treatments since the end of October, a combination of chemo, anti-virals and steroids, and must be driven to Livingston, MT once a week for an infusion and testing. Any cancer treatment is difficult on so many levels, and this one is no different.

Ben’s time is completely filled with caring for Steve, making medical arrangements, transportation, and keeping the house running. Neither Ben nor Steve will be able to throw clay for the foreseeable future, meaning Muddy Creek Pottery has come to a full stop and they have lost their only source of income.

This GoFundMe site has been set up to help offset daily and monthly expenses: medical bills, food, transportation, firewood, utilities and all the other things they need to get through this challenge.

Ben and Steve are a part of so many communities, even beyond the neighborhood in Park County, MT where they planted themselves 30 years ago. We are asking for you to give as much as you can to help with these expenses, but also to help in sharing this site far and wide to our friends, family, neighbors, art and pottery enthusiasts, anyone touched by them. In all of those circles, they have been so generous with their time, creativity, skills, kindness and love.

Please, let’s all give back to them, show some love, and support them as they lean into the wind.

We will be doing regular updates on this site, so please check back often.

Sincerely, Friends and Family of Steve and Ben