Volunteers continue to burn the midnight oil, filling sandbags for the city’s flood fight.
More than 170 low-risk inmates filled sandbags from 10:00 pm Monday until 10:00 am Tuesday. In those 12 hours, they filled and put more than 40,000 sandbags on pallets.
“I can’t say enough about their effort. They worked hard all night long and were able to fill an amazing number of sandbags,” says Bismarck Police Lt. Steve Kilde.
Today, teachers from Bismarck’s Public Schools are working at Sandbag Charlie. Kilde says they are filling about 3,000 sandbags per hour.
“We need more groups like this to come to the sandbag sites. They are making a huge difference, but we still need to fill about 2.5 million sandbags by Thursday,” says Kilde.
Volunteers should report to the city’s three manned sandbag sites:
• Sandbag Charlie (521 South 22nd Street) – open 24 hours a day.
• Sandbag Central North, Missouri Valley Fairgrounds (3805 E. Bismarck Expressway) - open 24 hours a day.
• Sandbag Central South, Northern Plains Commerce Center (1901 Northern Plains Drive) - open 24 hours a day.
CAT buses will provide transportation for volunteers to the sandbag sites. Volunteers should meet in the southeast corner of the Kirkwood Mall parking lot (JC Penney wing).
Volunteers should bring a shovel, gloves and protective eyewear. Volunteers must register before they begin filling sandbags. Parental consent is required for those under age 18. Consent forms are available at both Sandbag Central and Sandbag Central South. You can also download the consent form at www.bismarck.org.
Self-fill Sites are located at the following sites:
• Horizon Middle School (500 Ash Coulee Drive)
• Santa Fe Avenue, Cottonwood Complex west of South 12th Street
• 48th Avenue and Sibley Drive (daylight hours only)
• Ponderosa Park (daylight hours only)
• Hogue Road (daylight hours only)