Volunteers fill sandbags at State Fair Center
By JILL SCHRAMM, Staff Writer jschramm@minotdailynews.comArticle Photos
Alice Podvin sat on a pile of sand bags to rest aching muscles Tuesday afternoon after shoveling sand and stacking bags since morning.
Joining dozens of volunteers in filling sandbags in the State Fair Center, the Job Corps student didn't mind tiring herself for a good cause.
Podvin, a native of Enderlin, said she can't be there to help her hometown with the flooding it is experiencing this spring so she is doing the next best thing.
"It's nice to be able to help here," she said. "I am in facility maintenance so this is the kind of work we do."
Numerous volunteers are expected to assist Ward County in preparing for potential flooding by donating time to the sandbagging efforts in the coming days. Volunteers continue to be needed through Friday from 2 to 8 p.m. and from Saturday through next week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Arena 1 of the State Fair Center.
Brad Haugeberg, manager of SunPrairie Grain, was tying and stacking sandbags Tuesday. He said he has several employees who will be taking rotations at the arena.
"It's kind of slow grain moving," he said of elevator activity at this time of year, "so I will put them to work."
Nearly 20 Souris River Campus students were filling sandbags as their gym class. Job Corps was sending over many of its students, who began sandbagging well before the official start time.
Matthew Moore, Joshua Mack and Ben Hausherr of Minot Air Force Base had planned to go to Fargo to help sandbag but were detained by their jobs in the missile field. So when they had an opportunity to help close to home, they took advantage of it.
They brought experience from their Iraq deployments to the job.
"In the military, sandbags are a way of life sometimes. We use them for blast mitigation," Mack said. "I would rather deal with a flood."
In this case, filling sandbags was a chance to share stories and laughs and get to know new people, he said. The idea of making a contribution to the community also was a motivation.
"You can stay home and watch TV or you can go out and help some people," Hausherr said.
Clayton Patterson and Neil Goodman felt the same way.
"We figure it's an obligation to help out," said Patterson, who is retired. "I thought I may as well come out here as up to the shopping center and drink coffee."
Goodman, who is between jobs, also found sandbagging to be a good use of some spare time.
Una Borud, a nurse, was shoveling sand on her day off.
"I just came out to help the community. I know they would help me if I ever needed it. You do your part," she said.
Borud said she is preparing for flooding around her own home because of concern over runoff from so much snow. She is considering sandbagging for protection.
The sandbags filled at the arena will help with county flood operations if needed.
