I heard the call for volunteers go out on KFYR radio, so I was ecstatic when our boss called an impromptu staff meeting first thing this morning. Anyone who wanted to go help fill/load sandbags could do so on company time. Needless to say, many of us bolted directly to the Civic Center.
I did not take my camera. I wasn’t there to take pictures or blog anything. I had my cell phone, which is how this shot came to be, but that’s all. In fact, other than the Heart River ice jam, I have not pursued any photos of this whole flooding ordeal. It just seems a little too much like capitalizing on a situation that is very miserable for a lot of people. If you have read this site long enough to know what I think of ambulance-chasing news reporters, you’ll understand my sensitivity in this matter.
Here are a few thoughts and observations from the day:
When I arrived, there were so many volunteers it was an emotional experience. Some were bringing in cases of water along with their shovels. National Guard personnel were briefing us on what we needed to do. The line of trucks waiting to pick up sandbags went all the way up 7th Street to Rosser Avenue when I arrived, so there was plenty of work awaiting.
I watched as Mayor Warford helped re-stack a pallet of sandbags that had spilled. He’s had a very busy day due to all this flood-related business, but I was impressed that when he saw something that needed to be done, he did it. He is a rancher, after all.
Everybody was really cheerful and polite. There were lots of “thank yous” and “good lucks” traded between volunteers and drivers. I went where the work was, as different parts of the Civic Center were busier than others from time to time and I hate standing around. In doing so I worked with all kinds of different people. All were friendly and hard working.
There was plenty of hospitality, too. I was up until the wee hours of the morning last night cleaning sidewalks and driveways until my snowblower quit (presumably with a failed drive belt). With very little sleep, I needed a break after only a couple of hours. There was an area with lots of refreshments and snacks. I had a great sugar cookie and a couple of glasses of OJ, thanked the Salvation Army workers, and it was back at it. I saw a couple of National Guard soldiers with a box of donuts and bottles of Powerade, which they were giving to the dump truck drivers as they came in through the tunnel.
There were more volunteers than there was work. That can actually gum up the works a little bit, but I heard tonight on KX News that organizers were pleased with the efficiency given the overwhelming number of people who showed up.
The best feeling in the world is when a group of people come together for a common cause and set about doing it with total commitment. That’s why I like working on live TV broadcasts so much. It was so cool to be a part of this whole operation for a good chunk of today, and I couldn’t be more proud of Bismarck-Mandan citizens of all walks of life.
This is my first experience with such a disaster situation. I’ve seen plenty of news footage of things like this helping elsewhere, but it finally hit home. How anyone (ahem, Michele Obama) could say they aren’t proud of their country is beyond me. Skinny high school girls worked next to big tattooed biker types as if they’d been long time teammates.
Those who couldn’t lift sandbags sat and tied them shut once filled. I helped one such lady who couldn’t lift the bags out of her lap after she’d tied them, but she tied them so quickly that there was a new bag ready every time I turned around from stacking the last one. I saw older folks, kids, folks in ripped jeans like me and some in pretty expensive clothing. The variety of folks that showed up with their shovels and their elbow grease encompassed every sort of category you could try to shoehorn a person into. And it ain’t over yet.
If I wasn’t so sleep-deprived and didn’t have a wife and two toddlers, I’d have gone back down there after church tonight. I actually considered it out loud, but my wife brought me back to earth. If you haven’t pitched in at one of the sandbagging stations, even for a short time, go give it a try. It’s very fulfilling and you can take some ownership in this community’s battle against the “Flood of ’09.” It’s a 24/7 operation at this time, we’ll see how things progress as the Big Muddy gets cleared of all the ice jams.
