Fifth Annual ECHO Chain Saw Carving Championship, sponsored by ECHO Inc.

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The Fifth Annual ECHO Chain Saw Carving Championship, sponsored by Lake Zurich, Ill.-based outdoor power equipment manufacturer ECHO Inc., returned to the Albuquerque, N.M., International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico on Oct. 2-4 to carve for the Make-a-Wish Foundation of New Mexico. This year, the championship pitted the ECHO Carving Team against the clock and each other.

The four professional carvers on the team competed for cash prizes and the ECHO Carving Cup. They had 22 hours to produce masterpiece sculptures under the theme “The Great American Southwest.” Team members are Mike Bihlmaier (from Marengo, Ill.), Mark Colp (Lakeport, Calif.), Jason Emmons (Branchville, Ind.), and Bob King (Edgewood, Wash.), all of whom have been carving for ECHO since 2005 when the company first formed the team. The company started the ECHO Carving Series and Championship the same year.

On Sunday, Oct. 4, the sculptures were judged and auctioned, raising $12,600 to benefit the Make-a-Wish Foundation of New Mexico, which grants “wishes” to children who have life-threatening medical conditions. A separate raffle raised $5,070 for the foundation. Last year's auction raised $34,700 for the foundation, granting wishes to seven children.