The 12th annual Monsters of Todd benefit concert is scheduled for Saturday at Revolution Music Room in Little Rock. Doors open at 6 p.m., with performances beginning at 7 p.m. The lineup is Mr. Meaner, Dissentious, Maynium, Ryan Harmon Band, Dreadful Day and R@ndom, according to KARK.
This year’s beneficiary
This year’s beneficiary is Maurice Biggs Jr., who is battling leukemia. Organizers direct proceeds to financial assistance for the selected beneficiary; KARK reports that a balcony section has been reserved for Biggs and his family if he can attend. The concert has raised more than $100,000 for Central Arkansas families and organizations affected by cancer, the outlet reports.
Leukemia in Arkansas
The Arkansas Central Cancer Registry’s 2024 report lists 534 new leukemia diagnoses in Arkansas in 2019. The age-adjusted incidence rate was 14.4 in Arkansas, compared with 13.8 for the United States, according to Arkansas Cancer Facts & Figures 2024.
A benefit that continued
The benefit began in response to the cancer diagnosis of Todd Mills, a former Air Force veteran, North Little Rock police officer and Little Rock Regional Chamber employee. Organizer Jimmy Looney told KARK that the original plan was to help Mills with expenses while he recovered. After Mills died during preparations, organizers redirected the fundraiser to funeral costs, then continued the event to assist others affected by cancer, KARK reported.
Accounts differ on when the event began: KARK dates its creation to 2014, while AY Magazine and KATV say it began in 2013.
Looney told KARK that organizers want recipients to feel supported by concertgoers as well as receive financial help. This account of the event’s purpose, like the details above attributed to KARK, comes from the outlet’s reporting.
