F-M Area Students Lend a Hand During Flood Fight 2019

Students of all ages filled sandbags in both Moorhead and Fargo to help the cities reach their goals

FARGO-MOORHEAD– Volunteers are critical to preparing for flooding.

Students in the F–M area are joining in to do their part.

“It feels good just to help people out with what they are struggling with or just so that they do not have a fear their home being gone,” Carl Ben Eielson Middle School student Landon Docken said.

Eighth graders from Carl Ben Eielson Middle School visited Fargo Sandbag Central in two shifts.

“It makes me feel really happy because I don’t want anyone getting hurt over this,” Carl Ben Eielson Middle School student Tobie Donahue said.

Tobie says although she was pretty young during the 2009 flooding she is happy to be able to help now.

“I remember it was pretty bad and a lot of people got flooded out and I don’t want that to happen again,” Donahue said.

Across the river on the Moorhead side, students are volunteering by using their open classes to help fight the flood.

“It’s a great learning deal for them,” Moorhead Public Schools director of transportation Mike Steffen said. “Every one of them came over here and they were excited. They weren’t sure when they came here what they were going to experience because I don’t know if they have experienced some of this before but they left here and they were excited that they did it.”

Moorhead High School students kicked off the city’s second day of sandbagging.

Community volunteers and college students lent a hand as well.

An MSUM student says her memories from the 2009 flood are what motivates her to volunteer.

“It was up pretty high in 2009 when I was little,” MSUM student Paige Anderson said. “I remember being able to look over the sandbags and be like this is crazy. It’s just kind of like a no brainer. If we can do it we should do it. We don’t need to watch Netflix for another two hours, we can be here doing something.”

And they’ll find some way you can help out.

“You could just be saran wrapping them,” Anderson said. “You could be tying twist ties and then hopefully you inspire other people to come and we can reach our goal faster and help the community more.”

All of the students said they have plans to volunteer again.