Running and Flooding Drama in Des Moines

Over the weekend, our Des Moines community was the setting for drama of several kinds. 

Our local Drake University hosted the NCAA Track and Field Championships for four days.  The meet brought together the best of the best athletes from the nation’s top track and field programs.  Amy, her husband Jim, and I together with some friends watched as runners ran 13:30 for 5000 meters, 3:40s for 1500 meters, and 45 seconds for 400 meters.

Overall, the athletes set 21 records, surpassing the performances of the best who ran before them. Their strength and speed was staggering.  Many of these same amazing athletes will be competing at the Olympic trials next week, and some likely to be represent USA and their native countries in Beijing.

At the same time, Des Moines was dealing with devastating flooding along its two rivers.  Followed by weeks of record-setting rain, downtown Des Moines saw floodwaters spill into parts of its businesses and residential districts.  A levee also broke, calling for emergency sandbagging and evacuation to protect hundreds of homes and several schools.

And this is where the two dramatic events came together.

Athletes, coaches, and staff from the Washington, North Carolina, Florida State track teams rolled up their sleeves and pitched in to help with the crisis.  These were athletes who were finished competing.  Athletes who could just as easily have laid around their hotels or taken it easy at the track stadium soaking up the sun and excitement of the meet. 

Instead, these teams just showed up at the sandbagging operations, most not even wearing apparel displaying their school name, and blended in with the locals.  Work along a flood levee is dirty, smelly, and charged with urgency and emotion.  They filled sandbags and worked along side strangers forming a bucket brigade laying sandbags against a levee that only had a chance to hold.  Why?  They wanted to respond and give back to the community that hosted them for the past week.

Des Moines was filled with drama in many parts of the city throughout the week.  Some dramatic  performances were athletic and are now in the record books and captured with photos of the athletes holding their awards on the award stand.  But many other athletes will also be remembered, trophy-less and unphotographed, but as heroes for a lifetime.

Thank you to all athletes and schools for contributing your talent to the championship meet and your courage and kindness to the flood efforts.

NCAA runners on Flickr by Amortech

Sandbagging on Flickr by Tonygreif

Comments

[Kent]

Wow I hadn't heard that story yet about the athletes helping out. That is really cool and much appreciated. The response of the whole community has simply been fantastic. We had nearly 500 volunteers in Polk City for our sandbagging. Many of whom drove from Des Moines or further (such as the PC-Monroe people) and encurred not only the nicks and cuts of working but the high gas price of driving here. If anyone wants to doubt community spirit still being alive or that people still care about their neighbor (not necessarily the person next door either), they did not see adults and kids working 10, 12 hours on a sand bag line.

PS - if sandbagging is a good weight training exercise, the North Polk football team should be in fine form this year. :-)

[Nat]

I've had a lose faith in humanity day. This raised me up.

Good on them for helping. Hope you guys are all well good and dry.

[Run For Life]

Thanks for sharing this with us, Tom.

[Laurel aka Lily]

Please stay safe, the weather is crazy everywhere!

[Nancy]

Oh that's amazing. What a great story. So glad I could find out about it.

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