History

Bridget Matuszak Harvey Schuh passed away in January 2014 after a six-year battle with breast cancer, during which she was treated at Roswell Park. In her memory, Bridget's Battle was created to help raise funds and awareness towards prevention, cure, and patient/family support. Bridget was a fan of Buffalo-area live music, therefore the signature event of our campaign is an annual "Band Jam Benefit" featuring WNY local music. 

Those who met Bridget discovered her upbeat personality and her strong will to enjoy a full, rich life while fighting her condition. One of her greatest joys was music. She especially loved to go to our favorite musical hangout, The Dockside Inn, in North Tonawanda. 

Those nights led to the hatching of an idea to have a big jam session with all the Dockside bands headlining. Once we started planning the event, it seemed right to ask for a small donation at the door, and Roswell was a perfect beneficiary.

Our first Dockside Band Jam happened in the fall of 2010, followed by annual repeats in 2011 and 2012. Dan and Gloria Wingrove, the generous owners of Dockside, matched the donations at the door each year, and we were able to make significant contributions to Roswell Park.

Unfortunately, Bridget’s conditioned worsened in 2013, and we decided not to hold an event that year. She was hospitalized, and passed away in early 2014. Bridget’s memory inspired us to carry on in her honor, and Bridget’s Battle was officially born. Our 501(c)3 Foundation was formed in 2017.

We held the first "official" events at Crazy Jake’s in North Tonawanda, before moving to The Grove at Banchetti by Rizzo’s, and most recently to Buffalo RiverWorks. Many of our talented performers have appeared at every one of our events dating back to 2010. In addition to all-day music, we have prize raffles and theme baskets up for auction, 50/50 split raffles, available food and beverages, and a few surprises every year.

Since 2010, we have raised $70,000 for Roswell Park. In recent years those funds have gone to Roswell's Angel Fund. You can learn more about that on our Home Page!