Volunteer Airlift
By Jon Gordon
April 28, 1997

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A Northwest Airlines 747 cargo plane delivered 120,000 pounds of supplies from the Twin Cities to the Grand Forks area yesterday. Target stores collected the goods on Saturday. Residents donated more than the airplane could carry, so five semi-trucks will bring the rest in the days to come. Minnesota Public Radio's Jon Gordon reports.

TWELVE TRUCKLOADS OF BOTTLED WATER, cleaning supplies, toiletries and more were taken from the Target stores to the Twin Cities airport Saturday. Northwest Airlines employees volunteered their time to stuff the goods into silver crates, then into the belly of the Boeing 747.

SFX PLANE

Captain Dennis Boston is piloting the cargo plane. Behind the wheel at 24,00 feet, Boston explains why he volunteered his time on a pleasant sunny Sunday.

BOSTON AUDIO

SFX UNLOADING

On the ground at Grand Forks air force base, Northwest Airlines workers unload the crates from the 747. The mayor of Grand Forks - Pat Owen - is on the tarmack. So is East Grand Forks mayor Lynn Stauss. Both seem in awe at this gesture from Minneapolis and St. Paul.

PAT AND LYNN AUDIO

To mayor Stauss, this large relief operation demonstrates that geo-political differences often become meaningless in times of crisis.

STAUSS AUDIO

The Salvation Army will be distributing these new supplies in the Grand Forks area. The army's major David Dahlberg rode on the cargo plane to get a first-hand look. Dahberg, who heads up emergency relief operations for the Salvation Army, says the North Dakota and Minnesota floods show the power of non-governmental agencies to help people

DAHLBERG AUDIO

Yesterday's relief effort was coordinated by northwest airlines, target stores and wcco radio. Northwest airlines says it plans additional relief flights next month.

Return to Flood of 1997.