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1,004,200 thank yous!

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Mike Williams

The 126,200 bags produced by another fantastic volunteer effort Thursday surpassed the million mark in just 8 days!

Hearty congratulations to all the volunteers, staff, and drivers Thursday and over the past week!

Sandbag Central will be open today from 8 – 4, and then will be on stand-by.

Jay on the left has come everyday, thank you! Jessica has also been a regular making sure we don’t miss a beat! Thank you! Sarah and Jerry are great to work with and our table kept it light!

The crews Thursday included students from Park Christian, Oak Grove, NDSU, our friends from Cass County, another strong showing from Noridian, along with a growing number of regular volunteers.

Truck drivers donate $800 for pizza for Sandbag Central volunteers. Thank you!!

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Mike Williams

The volunteers at Sandbag Central enjoyed wonderful pizzas by Happy Joe’s and Chucky Cheese thanks to the generous contribution from the semi drivers hauling the 876,000 bags made so far.

Thanks to all the volunteers for another fantastic day making 136,000 bags. Carl Ben students returned with enthusiasm working with a group of Fort Totten students that bused in for the day. Thank you!

Noridian sent a large contingent to join our wonderful day to day volunteers like John, Jason, Dan, Maria, and Janet who celebrated her birthday with all her friends at Sandbag Central. Thanks to all of you and Happy Birthday Janet!

You can get in on the fun by checking where we need the most volunteers here http://volunteerstatus.cityoffargo.com/ and call 476,4000 to join in the fun.

Here’s our table of Carl Ben students still full of energy and having fun after their shift. Thank you all!

Our afternoon table kept the bags flowing with Tom, Anna Lea, Lisa, Tracy, and DeeDee. It was fun working with all of you! Thanks and maybe see you again today?

You can get in on the fun by checking where we need the most volunteers here http://volunteerstatus.cityoffargo.com/ and call 476,4000 to join in.

Tagged Ben Franklin students, Bismarck Teen Connection, Carl Ben students, Community Fargo, Discovery students, Fargo agriculture, Fargo air guard, Fargo art, Fargo Business, fargo business flood, Fargo education, Fargo flood, Fargo government, Fargo Mike Williams, Fargo news, Fargo spirit, Fargo students flood, Fargo volunteers, Fargo weather, Jodee Bock, Keon Hee, Ponni, Sandbag Central, West Fargo stujdents | Leave a comment

West Fargo Packers show their community spirit

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Mike Williams

122,000 bags today for a total of 740,000 in 6 days!
West Fargo Packers showed their stuff along with tons of volunteers like Jodee Bock and her Roers crew, Sanford, and my new friends Keon Hee (Just do it) and Ponni! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

You can get in on the fun by checking where we need the most volunteers here http://volunteerstatus.cityoffargo.com/ and call 476,4000 to join in the fun.

My new friends Keon Hee and Ponni are just doing it. They tie them high and let them fly! Thanks guys, and hope to see you again soon

The West Fargo Cheney students were a fun and happy bunch. They’re excellent Packers! Thank you!

Tom helped me stack and our pallets were nice and square. We had fun at our table with a great crew! Thank you!

Thanks to this crew from Roers for helping us produce 122,000 bags on Tuesday. Jodee Bock is the blur because she shovels so fast! Thank you to all and hope to see you again this week.

You can get in on the fun by checking where we need the most volunteers here http://volunteerstatus.cityoffargo.com/ and call 476,4000 to join in the fun.

Tagged Ben Franklin students, Bismarck Teen Connection, Carl Ben students, Community Fargo, Discovery students, Fargo agriculture, Fargo air guard, Fargo Business, fargo business flood, Fargo education, Fargo flood, Fargo Mike Williams, Fargo news, Fargo students flood, Fargo volunteers, Fargo weather, Jodee Bock, Keon Hee, Ponni, Sandbag Central, West Fargo stujdents | Leave a comment

Another stellar day at Sandbag Central. Thank you volunteers!! 618,000 in 5 days!

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Mike Williams

142,000 bags Monday sets the tone for the week. Thank you volunteers! That makes 618,000 bags in 5 days.

You can get in on the fun by checking where we need the most volunteers here http://volunteerstatus.cityoffargo.com/ and call 476,4000 to join in the fun.

We had a great table, Maureen, Erik, Chen Le, George, and Cassie the master pallet stacker. George and 11 others came from Bismarcks “Teen Connection” to help us today. Thank you!!

Tagged Ben Franklin students, Bismarck Teen Connection, Carl Ben students, Community Fargo, Discovery students, Fargo agriculture, Fargo air guard, Fargo Business, fargo business flood, Fargo flood, Fargo Mike Williams, Fargo news, Fargo students flood, Fargo volunteers, Fargo weather, Sandbag Central | Leave a comment

Now that’s a Bacherolette Party!

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Mike Williams

Sandbag Central is where it’s at. Where else can you play with your bridesmaids in the sand with 477 other fun loving community minded people for your bachelorette party?

These 477 great folks from all over the region made over 88,000 sandbags Saturday for a running total of 476,000 bags in 4 days, well on our way to the 1,000,000 bag goal. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

Here’s the excellent article by Helmut Schmidt on Saturdays fun at Sandbag Central. http://www.inforum.com/event/image/id/338600/headline/Bachelorette%20party%20volunteers/

I’m sad I missed out Saturday, but I’ll be back Monday to work with the great students again.

Forum Dave Wallis

Galit DeWitz, right, prepares to toss a sandbag onto a pallet as she and others in her bachelorette party volunteer to fill sandbags Saturday at Sandbag Central in Fargo. Some of the members of the party include, from far left, Amanda Sharpe, Sarah Sonju, Marcy Overby and Alexis Martinsen. Dave Wallis / The Forum

You can get in on the fun by checking where we need the most volunteers here http://volunteerstatus.cityoffargo.com/ and call 476,4000 to join in the fun.

Tagged Ben Franklin students, Carl Ben students, Discovery students, Fargo agriculture, Fargo air guard, Fargo Business, fargo business flood, Fargo flood, Fargo Mike Williams, Fargo news, Fargo students flood, Fargo volunteers, Fargo weather, Galit DeWitz | Leave a comment

Ben Franklin students lead the pack with 82,000 bags during their 9 – 2 shift

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Mike Williams

The Ben Franklin students sandbagged up a storm with 82,000 bags for their 9 – 2 shift Friday. This is the most so far for the students incredible efforts during their shifts this week.

We also had another strong crew from Cass County come in at 3 – 7 and a wonderful group of people from Minneapolis called “Headwaters Relief” worked all day to contribute to the 127,000 total.

The running total after 3 great days is now 388,000 of the 1,000,000 bag goal. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for all the wonderful people young and old that are setting this pace.

Here’s our Ben Franklin crew that helped set a new high of 82,000 bags during their 9 – 2 shift Friday. Sorry for the shaky picture, these kids are wearing me out!

Here’s the great folks from Minneapolis “Headwaters Relief” taking a well-deserved break. They worked all day from 8 – 7 p.m. even between the shifts cleaning up the tables. Thank you so much!

These folks from Cass County and the Fargo Air Guard were a pleasure to work with. They kept the bags flowing fast. Thank you!

We won’t have the pre-arranged student volunteers Saturday, so we’ll need as many volunteers as we can get to try to match their incredible efforts this week.

Volunteers can call 701-476-4000 to schedule a shift, if possible. Shuttles will be departing every 20 minutes on Saturday from 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. The last shuttle will depart the volunteer check-in site at 6 p.m.

Shuttle site locations

West Acres Mall (general public)
Fountain Entrance/ JCPenney wing
Bison Block Building at Jitters Coffee Bar (NDSU community)
Located at 1414 12th Ave. N., across from NDSU Library
Free parking is available in the NDSU “T Lot” all day Saturday.

Tagged Ben Franklin students, Fargo agriculture, Fargo air guard, Fargo Business, fargo business flood, Fargo flood, Fargo Mike Williams, Fargo news, Fargo students flood, Fargo volunteers, Fargo weather | Leave a comment

151,000 bags may be a new Sandbag Central record

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Mike Williams

WOOT! Carl Ben Eielson students came, they saw, they bagged! 151,000 bags reported at 7 p.m. for Thursday’s production thanks to a fantastic effort by students, our friends at Cass County, a fun crew from Sanford, and other wonderful volunteers.

Our running total is now 261.000 toward our 1,000,000 bag goal.

You can get in on the fun by checking where we need the most volunteers here http://volunteerstatus.cityoffargo.com/ and call 476,4000 to join in the fun. Friday after 2 and any time Saturday would be a great time.

Great crew during the Carl Ben shift. Thank you Jake, Justin, Aaron, Jerry, and Jackie, the J team!

Our friends at Cass County kept the bags stacking. Tie them high and let them fly!

Quick draw delivers the wire gun in the flash of an eye

Our 2 – 5 crew show pallet pride!

Thank you to all the fantastic volunteers and Bruce Grubb and his crew at Sandbag Central for making this such a fine tuned operation. Let’s keep it going strong!

You can get in on the fun by checking where we need the most volunteers here http://volunteerstatus.cityoffargo.com/ and call 476,4000 to join in the fun

Tagged agriculture, Carl Ben students, Cass County inmates, Fargo Business, fargo business flood, Fargo flood, Fargo government, Fargo Mike Williams, Fargo news, Fargo students flood, Fargo volunteers, Fargo weather, hankinson flood volunteers, Hankinson pirates flood, microsoft fargo flood volunteers, Sanford, west fargo flood volunteers | Leave a comment

110,000! Woot! Discovery Students rock Sandbag Central

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Mike Williams

Thank you to all the wonderful Discovery students and other volunteers that helped make 110,00 bags on the first day of Sandbag Central.

It was a blast working with these fun and hard working students. It’s amazing how much energy they have. They can dance and sandbag at the same time!

You can get in on the fun by checking out the shifts that need volunteers at http://volunteerstatus.cityoffargo.com/ then call 476,4000

Our team keeping their eye on the bag

Photo: Had a blast working with George and the great students from Discovery today. Fantastic job Austin, Trevor, Dani, and Megan, over 40,000 bags during our 9-2 shift!

People of all ages working together have a lot of fun. Thank you all!

Thanks to Heidi, Mary, Brenda and Mark from the Moorhead City Council for helping, it was fun stacking pallets with you

If you want to get in on the fun call 476-4000 to volunteer to see when check out http://volunteerstatus.cityoffargo.com/

Tagged Fargo Business, fargo business flood, Fargo flood, Fargo Mike Williams, Fargo news, Fargo students flood, Fargo volunteers, Fargo weather, hankinson flood volunteers, Hankinson pirates flood, microsoft fargo flood volunteers, west fargo flood volunteers | Leave a comment

Looking for sand, great people, exercise, snacks, and fun?

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Mike Williams

Fargo Life’s a Beach at Sandbag Central opens today! Call 476-4000

These West Fargo students and Amy from Microsoft were a lot of fun to work with

One of these Packers may be holding the 2 millionth bag made in 2011. Thanks for all your efforts!

Bruce Grubb is the Kahuna of Fargo Life’s a Beach at Sandbag Central. Bruce and his staff make it operate like a fine tuned machine and keep it fun

A nice square pallet shows pallet pride and stacks up easy

Here are my sandbag buddies Theresa and Marlene that I worked with in 2011. These two are incredible volunteers, they keep those sandbags moving!

Tagged Fargo Business, fargo business flood, Fargo flood, Fargo Mike Williams, Fargo students flood, Fargo volunteers, Fargo weather, hankinson flood volunteers, Hankinson pirates flood, microsoft fargo flood volunteers, west fargo flood volunteers | Leave a comment

Better than the cover of Rolling Stone

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Mike Williams

FM Matbus is this months cover feature of national Mass Transit magazine. It’s the first time they’ve ever put two people on their cover, but they wanted to honor the way Fargo and Moorhead work together to build a more robust transit system across city and state borders.

Way to go Julie Bommelman, Lori Van Beek, Gregg Schildberger, Jim Gilmour and many others including 2.1 million riders and great drivers and support staff.

These are the people that work everyday to make MATBUS a success along with their team of mechanics, drivers, dispatchers, and maintenance folks. Thanks to your good work, ridership has almost tripled in the recent years!

Students and young people are a major reason for the growth to 2.1 million riders. They make up over 1 million of the ridership. They’re aware that they can save over $6,000 a year by using the bus instead of driving, not have to find a parking spot, and get picked up and dropped off nearer the door.