And here we are, a bit of a delayed start, but it is time for Hancock Happenings.
Todd Gast is here in the studio with us.
How are you doing?
I'm doing pretty good.
Happy Wednesday.
Yeah.
Happy Wednesday to you as well.
How are you feeling?
I'm okay.
Yeah.
It's a nice sunny day.
I know you can't really see much from your, from your layer here in your studio, but that's right.
Well, how are you doing?
I'm doing all right.
I mean, I'm sorry I'm late.
I got a little, uh, we got like into the gift of gab over at the other station.
So we were just talking and talking.
And now I was like, Oh my God, I think I'm late and not even think I am.
So here I am.
Summer happenings in Hancock.
And so let's go.
First of all, we want to, the City of Hancock wants to thank the Hancock City Volunteer Fire Department for placing third place overall in the 131st Annual UP Volunteer Firefighters Tournament.
In first place was West Iron County, who placed first with 328 points.
Florence, Wisconsin placed second with 297.66.
And look at this math.
Hancock City placed third with 297.49.
So they were missed second place by 0.17.
Wow.
But hey, congratulations.
And thank you for all you do.
All of our volunteer fire departments.
These are like the key word here is volunteer.
And they do so much for our communities.
So we want to thank all of our volunteer fire departments.
You all are our heroes truly.
So thank you for all you do.
And especially our Hancock City volunteer.
volunteer fire department.
You guys work so hard.
So thank you for everything you do for our community.
And congratulations on that awesome third place victory at the 131st annual UP volunteer firefighters tournament.
And you can get in shape this summer with the outdoor functional fitness classes that strength training for everyday living.
And that's on Quincy Green every Thursday.
So that's tomorrow from 10 until 10 45.
These sessions are designed to help you improve your stability, reduce your risk of falling, because what's the worst thing you can do?
You don't want to fall.
That's right.
You don't want to fall.
So these classes are going to be designed to help you with your everyday living and help you reduce your risk of falling.
So that's on Quincy Green.
Every Thursday through August 27th, that's 10 until 1045.
That's brought to us by the UP Health System Portage.
We want to thank them for hosting.
It's only $5 per class.
We also have our all new Hancock Thursday Farmers Market, which features over 30 rotating vendors this year.
And it's such a great market.
There's such a great vibe.
There's a new energy on Quincy Green.
And there's a lot of talk about the vegetables that are coming from other places that get us sick.
Well, a lot of those farmers here, our local farmers say they don't poo in their fields.
So that particular virus that's out there, that's coming.
from that in the fields.
So our local vegetables is what we need to be doing.
So when you want to support our local farmers and our local cottage industries, you can do so by going to the Quincy or the Hancock Thursday Farmers Market on Quincy Green.
That's every Thursday from 2 until 6 p.m.
through October and then on Saturdays from 10 a.m.
till noon.
So it's Thursdays 2 to 6 p.m.
Saturdays 10 a.m.
till noon.
So, like I said, want to keep those dollars local, we can do so by supporting our local farmers and our local cottage industries.
We've got Game Night every Thursday night as well.
We've got the fun at KC Bonkers at 119 Quincy Street every Thursday from at 8 p.m.
So they're open late for you to go and get your family together, go and play some awesome board games.
And you can also go over to New Teenies Supper Club at 321 Quincy Street who hosts Trivia Night every Thursday and that's at 830.
But this Thursday we also have and every Thursday right through
to the end of August, we've got Jurassic Park.
So that is our movies on the green for the summer season.
And this week brings us our feature film, which is Jurassic Park.
That's our 1993 summer blockbuster, which headlines our adventure night at sunset, which is approximately 9 30 PM.
I know it's a little bit of a late start, but you know what?
Bring your blankets, bring your lawn chairs, relax, enjoy this awesome film.
on the big screen on Quincy Green.
That is this Thursday, tomorrow night, approximately 9.30 p.m.
And that is our Thursday night.
So, I mean, we've got a great film.
That is an awesome film, great family film.
I know there's a couple of things in there, but dinosaurs, dinosaurs films, they do their damage to some of the humans on this film.
So- It's okay for your kid to cry a little.
Well, maybe your kid is already zonked out by that time.
Who's to know?
But it's a great film.
And so Jurassic Park this Thursday, approximately 9.30.
The big screen on Quincy Green.
We've got also lots of great art here in the city of Hancock and the exhibit over at the Copper Country Community Art Center, Copper and Gold in Silver.
That's a photography exhibit by Dan Beers and Tim Renkin.
It's on display at the Carriage Gallery, only
through July 31st.
So that's the end of this week.
That is Friday.
So you only have until Friday to go and check that show out.
It is awesome.
So congratulations to the Copper Country Community Art Center.
Thank you for all you do for our community.
Also, the Finlandi Art Gallery hosts their fourth annual Folk School at Midsummer Exhibition.
And that display is at the Finnish American Heritage Center through August 19th.
So you got a little bit more time on that.
That exhibit display is work by
25 students and instructors of the Finnish American Folk School.
So that's another great show.
We've got a lots of awesome art here in the city of Hancock.
So take some time to go and check out these galleries who are right here in downtown Hancock.
We've got the Canal Rock Summer Music Concert Series and that continues this Friday, July 31st with the Super Suits from 6 and 9, 6 until 9 p.m.
at Porvu Park.
So you can kick back and relax or kick
off your shoes and dance the night away with this must attend annual celebration of summer.
So you bring your own coolers, bring your blankets, bring your umbrellas.
That's not for the rain, that's for the shade.
Some folks don't like a lot of the sun.
So if you bring your own shade, you should be good to go.
And that is, again, six until nine p.m.
Super Suits is gonna be rocking the canal right along the Portage Canal Boardwalk.
So that is the Super Suits from six until nine p.m.
at Bovoo Park this Friday.
We've got the Hancock Crop and Swap, that's Sunday, August 2nd, from 12 to 12.30 to 2.30, and that's at the Hancock Community Hub that's in Room 402.
So this is a free event featuring a variety of plants, plant books, and magazines, pots, and more.
If you don't have a plant and you'd like to participate, you may purchase it with a donation to the host.
We also want to talk about the Hancock Lights the Night.
That is coming up before you know it.
I know it's probably about five
months away until the holiday season, but we are in a drive to make sure we can have our 2026 event this year.
So we're in a fundraising mode right now.
We are selling buttons for $5 a piece at the City of Hancock.
So you can check out my button right there.
And so that all will help us gain the amount of money that we need to have to have this event.
So we need you to participate in the event.
You can sponsor
you can donate, you can volunteer, but we need you.
So this is our, we've got until about mid-August to make this dream a reality.
So if you wanna be a part of it, if you liked what you saw this past year for the holidays, then if you wanted to come back, this is your time to make that happen.
So we wanna thank you all in advance of your donation, your time, and your efforts to make this happen.
So we also have our end of summer celebrations coming up.
We want to make sure everybody knows we are moving the date a little bit.
This is our fourth annual, so we usually have it the Saturday after Labor Day.
This year, we're having it on the Saturday of Labor Day, so September 5th from 2 until 10 p.m.
We've got games for kids of all ages, bouncy houses, vendors, food, music, a street dance that's with Chad Borgen and the collective that Saturday night from 6 until 10 and then 10 p.m.
We've got our
famous laser light show spectacular.
Plus we have got our ping-pong ball drop that's during the afternoon all on Quincy Green and 400 Quincy Street.
So our big wrap up to our summer season with end of summer celebration that's September 5th that is from 2 until 10am.
Red on Quincy Green and 400 Quincy Street.
So we're getting ready for that too.
So we're prepping and planning for our big finale for the summer.
All right.
Yeah.
Happy summer everybody.
This is kind of our second part that we're going into.
We're hoping
and your summer is going great.
We got a lot more to go right here in downtown Hancock.
All right, hey, thank you very much for being here, Mr. Todd Gast.
This has been Hancock Capitings on Big Stunty 3.
Yeah, the 29th day of July, and you're listening to the Morning Brainwave with Nona Lu and Laini May.
And today we have in the hot seat Lisa Nelson from the Angel Mission, the Copper Country Angel Mission at that.
So, how's
things?
Hello.
Hi.
I'm so excited about talking about, you know, packing up the bus there for school time.
Yeah, it's just right around the corner.
Yes, it is indeed.
Lisa, tell us about the angel mission and stuff the bus and all that good stuff.
Okay, well stuff the bus is an annual event where we collect school supplies for the backpack program.
Uh, that was started by copper company angel mission about eight years ago.
And we are now partnered with the Salvation Army.
Couldn't do this program without them at all.
Yeah, they have the space.
they have the space and a lot of their volunteers are willing to help us.
It's wonderful.
It's
awesome.
So Stuff the Bus is actually going to be happening this coming Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
That's
tomorrow.
It is.
It's happening fast.
And there will be a school bus at Walmart who is another wonderful sponsor of this program.
And if you happen to be shopping at Walmart and you want to buy something to donate a school supply for our program, we'd love to see you there.
And just so you know, all the school supplies that we get in are then put into backpacks sorted so that they are
great appropriate and families in the local area can register for their son or daughter to get a free backpack with school supplies and those will be distributed later in August.
This has been going on for like eight years?
At least eight.
I'm relatively new to Copper Country Angel missions so I don't know officially how long it's been going but it certainly is expanding greatly.
Three years ago, we distributed 130, and then two years ago, it was 220.
Last year, it was over 320.
Wow.
That's
expanding.
Yes.
Well, that just shows, I mean, that stuff isn't cheap, and
kids need a lot of things, because I know there's a lot of times that teachers buy supplies for...
their classrooms, you know, and out of their own pocket.
Yeah, it's nice to have, you know, to have the kids have a, you know, tablets and pens and, and, you know, to different, you know, like they're handy wipes or whatever.
Sometimes, you know, didn't they used to do that stuff too?
Like, yeah, I guess during COVID, you know, stuff.
Hand sanitizer and so forth and not, but oh, and then there's like
I'm running the Gazette.
I believe that, you know, like if you'd buy, you know, like socks and underwear.
Yes.
That was started a couple of years ago.
One of our volunteers recognized, you know, a lot of these families, you know, basic needs are just hard to come by.
and one of the ways we could also help maybe is by providing new underwear and socks.
So when families come to pick up their backpacks, they can also go through our supplies of socks and underwear and pick out a package for each child.
Oh,
nice.
Because that stuff ain't cheap
either.
No.
See, I went to school.
I know how to say it ain't cheap.
I went to Hancock schools system, but no, I'm just being funny.
But no, that's that.
And so somebody, they could also probably give you money
or
things, right?
Definitely.
We will be accepting donations with Stuff the Bus.
Plus you can also make donations online through the Copper Country Angel Mission website and the Salvation Army.
There are also collection boxes scattered throughout the community and at many of our local churches.
So one of the things that I love about the Stuff the Bus and Backpack program is we kind of act as the conduit.
for the local community, because a lot of us say, hey, we want to help our neighbors.
But nobody really wants to go knocking on the doors of their neighbors to say, hey, do you need our help?
That's,
you know.
It
feels invasive.
Right.
So for people who have that need to help, but don't know who.
contact us or the Salvation Army because people register directly with us, and then you know it's going to our local community.
We serve as Houghton, Keweenaw, and Barenner counties.
Yeah, and you know, when you've got like a school bus by Walmart, it's kind of like, you know, like, oh, I can do this right here and right now.
you know just because you know that's a big reminder that school is going to start pretty quick and the kids need things you know and their families
you know, can use the help with paying for what
takes to go to school.
a big enterprise and some people have, you know, like more than one, well, even one kid is an expensive thing.
I've got five of them and boy, they, you know, I'm dry as a bone as far as funds go.
No, I'm kidding.
But it takes a lot of stuff to get ready for school and all, you know, and those kids,
I just remember like a brand new you know like your new notebook and I like a new You don't need pencils.
I read that and you don't need something else I can't remember the other thing
crayons
crayons and pencils are not necessary But like but all those other things you get them like brand new and then and then when you get into school and you get like a new book You know when you're starting a new grade and or kindergarten my goodness.
What a thrill
You know, it's just, you know, it's so neat and then you, you know, pretty much, and folks, this is something that I have to do is go through a lot of my son's shirts, because he's 28 years old, but he's got a lot of shirts that would fit, you know, like kids in high school and, you know, boys in high school, or girls, you know, because there's, you know, a lot of people like the Tigers.
But I just have to go through those and get them washed and packed up and get them to the angel mission because he's like me.
He wears a certain number of clothes of different shirts and things.
And the rest of them had just been sitting there collecting dust.
Yeah, I mean it's yeah, and you're like we're creatures of habit
and you know and they're just like you feel good in them It's like your thing that you like to wear in them, but then somebody you know you might give them their new favorite shirt
Cuz if we're not you know cuz they're in great shape, you know, so that's another idea for folks if they're doing Summer cleaning and then I get some you know paths and
And shirts and things to to the angel mission, you know make sure they're they're clean and suitable and Just you know so then folks can get them cuz you know everything is expensive these days.
Oh, yeah But aren't they limiting the donations at the angel mission like one 13 gallon a three plastic bag full of stuff right now.
Yes
It's kind of a mixed blessing.
It's wonderful to be the recipient of so much stuff at the angel mission, but all that stuff has to be gone through by our volunteers and then put out and we only have so much room.
And I do like the fact that she mentioned we like the stuff to be clean and in good shape.
Used is fine.
But, you know, if it's not something you're willing to wear, please
us a lot to throw things out.
So yeah, that's why there's a limit.
But yeah, nice, you know, clothing or housewares in good shape is a blessing for this community.
and we greatly appreciate it and need it.
We do also accept used backpacks for the stuff the bus.
Again, if it's in good condition and clean, that's great.
And we do have a need for adult size student supplies.
So in other words, when going back to school,
I think a lot of people tend to think of, oh, the younger kids.
But we have middle school and high school students
that
are also in need of supplies and socks and underwear.
So we pretty much take all sizes, 40 through adult, and then, again, supplies from preschool through high school.
And you mean, well, I imagine some college students even come in.
Sure.
They certainly would be welcome.
Yeah, and um, yeah, because like the things that you wouldn't wear yourself See if there's a local garage wants to use them for rags, you
Whatever, you know, but just don't don't just like upon them off and and then you folks have to pay to dispose of them.
But yeah, but anything that's
is just in in grand shape.
And you know, like we gently use is not the word for it, you know, or hardly ever used.
Yeah.
Some of our stuff.
Yeah.
And oh, you know, I have got a backpack.
Oh, and it says not to do like certain themes or or something.
Or you
know, we've
yeah.
So what we have found is
If we get backpacks in with, say, Disney characters or, you know, pop culture from movies and such, for every kid that absolutely loves that particular character, there's another kid that doesn't like it.
And we...
you know, we're giving out hundreds of backpacks.
We cannot provide backpacks based on personal preference.
So
it's just a lot easier for us if we have relatively plain or neutral stuff.
The other thing is that quite often the manufacturers, they have to pay money, you know, to those
companies to get the branding permission.
So for the same amount of money, you can get a better quality backpack if it doesn't have that pop culture branding on
And we certainly will be happy to get those, but what we're going to try to do is hold those.
back and issue the planar backpacks and then allow kids the option to exchange it for something with a logo or something.
You know, because we just can't do that matching ourselves.
I've got a backpack that I've used once when I went to Peabody Kansas and that was my carry-on thing for the airplane.
And it's it says Sierra Club on it because I donate to charities and yeah, so so that's that's pretty Blake Blake, you know, just like bland.
Oh, that's fine.
Yeah.
Yeah, okay.
So yeah, maybe I'll uh, yeah get to get that and I like stick some money in it or something and put it in there your bus I don't know what to or no, I'll just I'll send the money to to the angel mission, but yeah put
Yeah, you know, because it's, man, that's a lot of back tax you guys are packing.
Yeah, it's quite the experience packing them.
So we do it in an assembly line.
And we'll say, OK, we're going to do grades three through five.
OK, here's the packing list for grades three through five.
And then everyone gets a backpack and they go through the line.
because we now have online registration for those who are getting the backpacks.
We can tell, we have a pretty good idea of how many backpacks to make and we just stuff them through and once those are done, then we go on to another grade and yeah, it's actually a lot of fun.
We have a lot of great volunteers in our area.
So I know you had, you were accepting donations through Superior National Bank when you needed the roof repaired.
Superior National Bank, still be a location for donating safer stuff for the bus?
I'm sorry, I don't know the specific locations.
I know that they have done a lot of stuff.
It's entirely possible that they have a box set up.
For money.
Yeah, but and for donations, probably either visiting Salvation Army or
angel mission or going online to do a donation is easiest.
Or
you can mail us a check.
I
mean,
we are not at all picky about
how we get in money.
And another thing to consider, if money is tight in your household, we have so many different volunteering opportunities, not just for backpacks, but throughout the year and things that you might not consider like
If somebody likes graphic design, well, for these events, we always need somebody to design posters and flyers.
Somebody can do that from home or they could help us reach out to volunteers to get volunteers to do some of that
more
physical activity.
Our website, it's wonderful, but it certainly needs tweaking at times.
At the website, there is a link to a volunteer registration form.
And again, this is not meant to tie you up for life.
If you have an hour to spend once a year, great.
We'd be happy to have that hour.
If you have a little more time, that's fine too.
There's lots of ways to help.
If somebody doesn't have a computer like me,
What phone number would you call for the angel mission in
Calumet?
I don't have that number.
Come
on, Lisa.
I know.
Well, I'm always using my email, but we'll find that out.
No, I'm just messing with you.
Yeah.
But that's a good point because even if you don't have a computer, if you're willing to talk to people, you can, you know,
We have a need for communication all the time to coordinate among volunteers, to maybe reach out to area businesses to see if they'd be willing to have a box for a program or a donation can.
Okay, I have a number 9067296789.
That might be it.
I don't know.
I thought
it would be a 337 number for some reason.
But yeah, so anyway, yeah, because yeah, you just can just call Elaine's cell phone and it's 906.
Okay, wait a
second here.
I better
not do that.
No, no, no, no.
So that number is 906-729-6789.
It counting up, 6789.
not all righty well um well everybody get out there and stuff that bus
you know so they can stuff those backpacks because they the kids how did you say there's like pre-registration is there a how many have you gotten registered already or do you know
um right now it's still fairly early in the process but um usually within
Probably next week I expect it's going to be at least a couple hundred if not three hundred Once the word gets out and when do they pick them up?
They pick them up depending on the location.
We have three locations the Salvation Army Copper Country Angel Mission and Lance Methodist Church
Tell us how it goes.
Yes.
Come in and tell us how it goes.
Okay.
All right.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Yeah, the 29th day of July, and you're listening to the Morning Brainwave with Nona Lu and Laini May.
And today we have in the hot seat Lisa Nelson from the Angel Mission, the Copper Country Angel Mission at that.
So, how's
things?
Hello.
Hi.
I'm so excited about talking about, you know, packing up the bus there for school time.
Yeah, it's just right around the corner.
Yes, it is indeed.
Lisa, tell us about the angel mission and stuff the bus and all that good stuff.
Okay, well stuff the bus is an annual event where we collect school supplies for the backpack program.
Uh, that was started by copper company angel mission about eight years ago.
And we are now partnered with the Salvation Army.
Couldn't do this program without them at all.
Yeah, they have the space.
they have the space and a lot of their volunteers are willing to help us.
It's wonderful.
It's
awesome.
So Stuff the Bus is actually going to be happening this coming Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
That's
tomorrow.
It is.
It's happening fast.
And there will be a school bus at Walmart who is another wonderful sponsor of this program.
And if you happen to be shopping at Walmart and you want to buy something to donate a school supply for our program, we'd love to see you there.
And just so you know, all the school supplies that we get in are then put into backpacks sorted so that they are
great appropriate and families in the local area can register for their son or daughter to get a free backpack with school supplies and those will be distributed later in August.
This has been going on for like eight years?
At least eight.
I'm relatively new to Copper Country Angel missions so I don't know officially how long it's been going but it certainly is expanding greatly.
Three years ago, we distributed 130, and then two years ago, it was 220.
Last year, it was over 320.
Wow.
That's
expanding.
Yes.
Well, that just shows, I mean, that stuff isn't cheap, and
kids need a lot of things, because I know there's a lot of times that teachers buy supplies for...
their classrooms, you know, and out of their own pocket.
Yeah, it's nice to have, you know, to have the kids have a, you know, tablets and pens and, and, you know, to different, you know, like they're handy wipes or whatever.
Sometimes, you know, didn't they used to do that stuff too?
Like, yeah, I guess during COVID, you know, stuff.
Hand sanitizer and so forth and not, but oh, and then there's like
I'm running the Gazette.
I believe that, you know, like if you'd buy, you know, like socks and underwear.
Yes.
That was started a couple of years ago.
One of our volunteers recognized, you know, a lot of these families, you know, basic needs are just hard to come by.
and one of the ways we could also help maybe is by providing new underwear and socks.
So when families come to pick up their backpacks, they can also go through our supplies of socks and underwear and pick out a package for each child.
Oh,
nice.
Because that stuff ain't cheap
either.
No.
See, I went to school.
I know how to say it ain't cheap.
I went to Hancock schools system, but no, I'm just being funny.
But no, that's that.
And so somebody, they could also probably give you money
or
things, right?
Definitely.
We will be accepting donations with Stuff the Bus.
Plus you can also make donations online through the Copper Country Angel Mission website and the Salvation Army.
There are also collection boxes scattered throughout the community and at many of our local churches.
So one of the things that I love about the Stuff the Bus and Backpack program is we kind of act as the conduit.
for the local community, because a lot of us say, hey, we want to help our neighbors.
But nobody really wants to go knocking on the doors of their neighbors to say, hey, do you need our help?
That's,
you know.
It
feels invasive.
Right.
So for people who have that need to help, but don't know who.
contact us or the Salvation Army because people register directly with us, and then you know it's going to our local community.
We serve as Houghton, Keweenaw, and Barenner counties.
Yeah, and you know, when you've got like a school bus by Walmart, it's kind of like, you know, like, oh, I can do this right here and right now.
you know just because you know that's a big reminder that school is going to start pretty quick and the kids need things you know and their families
you know, can use the help with paying for what
takes to go to school.
a big enterprise and some people have, you know, like more than one, well, even one kid is an expensive thing.
I've got five of them and boy, they, you know, I'm dry as a bone as far as funds go.
No, I'm kidding.
But it takes a lot of stuff to get ready for school and all, you know, and those kids,
I just remember like a brand new you know like your new notebook and I like a new You don't need pencils.
I read that and you don't need something else I can't remember the other thing
crayons
crayons and pencils are not necessary But like but all those other things you get them like brand new and then and then when you get into school and you get like a new book You know when you're starting a new grade and or kindergarten my goodness.
What a thrill
You know, it's just, you know, it's so neat and then you, you know, pretty much, and folks, this is something that I have to do is go through a lot of my son's shirts, because he's 28 years old, but he's got a lot of shirts that would fit, you know, like kids in high school and, you know, boys in high school, or girls, you know, because there's, you know, a lot of people like the Tigers.
But I just have to go through those and get them washed and packed up and get them to the angel mission because he's like me.
He wears a certain number of clothes of different shirts and things.
And the rest of them had just been sitting there collecting dust.
Yeah, I mean it's yeah, and you're like we're creatures of habit
and you know and they're just like you feel good in them It's like your thing that you like to wear in them, but then somebody you know you might give them their new favorite shirt
Cuz if we're not you know cuz they're in great shape, you know, so that's another idea for folks if they're doing Summer cleaning and then I get some you know paths and
And shirts and things to to the angel mission, you know make sure they're they're clean and suitable and Just you know so then folks can get them cuz you know everything is expensive these days.
Oh, yeah But aren't they limiting the donations at the angel mission like one 13 gallon a three plastic bag full of stuff right now.
Yes
It's kind of a mixed blessing.
It's wonderful to be the recipient of so much stuff at the angel mission, but all that stuff has to be gone through by our volunteers and then put out and we only have so much room.
And I do like the fact that she mentioned we like the stuff to be clean and in good shape.
Used is fine.
But, you know, if it's not something you're willing to wear, please
us a lot to throw things out.
So yeah, that's why there's a limit.
But yeah, nice, you know, clothing or housewares in good shape is a blessing for this community.
and we greatly appreciate it and need it.
We do also accept used backpacks for the stuff the bus.
Again, if it's in good condition and clean, that's great.
And we do have a need for adult size student supplies.
So in other words, when going back to school,
I think a lot of people tend to think of, oh, the younger kids.
But we have middle school and high school students
that
are also in need of supplies and socks and underwear.
So we pretty much take all sizes, 40 through adult, and then, again, supplies from preschool through high school.
And you mean, well, I imagine some college students even come in.
Sure.
They certainly would be welcome.
Yeah, and um, yeah, because like the things that you wouldn't wear yourself See if there's a local garage wants to use them for rags, you
Whatever, you know, but just don't don't just like upon them off and and then you folks have to pay to dispose of them.
But yeah, but anything that's
is just in in grand shape.
And you know, like we gently use is not the word for it, you know, or hardly ever used.
Yeah.
Some of our stuff.
Yeah.
And oh, you know, I have got a backpack.
Oh, and it says not to do like certain themes or or something.
Or you
know, we've
yeah.
So what we have found is
If we get backpacks in with, say, Disney characters or, you know, pop culture from movies and such, for every kid that absolutely loves that particular character, there's another kid that doesn't like it.
And we...
you know, we're giving out hundreds of backpacks.
We cannot provide backpacks based on personal preference.
So
it's just a lot easier for us if we have relatively plain or neutral stuff.
The other thing is that quite often the manufacturers, they have to pay money, you know, to those
companies to get the branding permission.
So for the same amount of money, you can get a better quality backpack if it doesn't have that pop culture branding on
And we certainly will be happy to get those, but what we're going to try to do is hold those.
back and issue the planar backpacks and then allow kids the option to exchange it for something with a logo or something.
You know, because we just can't do that matching ourselves.
I've got a backpack that I've used once when I went to Peabody Kansas and that was my carry-on thing for the airplane.
And it's it says Sierra Club on it because I donate to charities and yeah, so so that's that's pretty Blake Blake, you know, just like bland.
Oh, that's fine.
Yeah.
Yeah, okay.
So yeah, maybe I'll uh, yeah get to get that and I like stick some money in it or something and put it in there your bus I don't know what to or no, I'll just I'll send the money to to the angel mission, but yeah put
Yeah, you know, because it's, man, that's a lot of back tax you guys are packing.
Yeah, it's quite the experience packing them.
So we do it in an assembly line.
And we'll say, OK, we're going to do grades three through five.
OK, here's the packing list for grades three through five.
And then everyone gets a backpack and they go through the line.
because we now have online registration for those who are getting the backpacks.
We can tell, we have a pretty good idea of how many backpacks to make and we just stuff them through and once those are done, then we go on to another grade and yeah, it's actually a lot of fun.
We have a lot of great volunteers in our area.
So I know you had, you were accepting donations through Superior National Bank when you needed the roof repaired.
Superior National Bank, still be a location for donating safer stuff for the bus?
I'm sorry, I don't know the specific locations.
I know that they have done a lot of stuff.
It's entirely possible that they have a box set up.
For money.
Yeah, but and for donations, probably either visiting Salvation Army or
angel mission or going online to do a donation is easiest.
Or
you can mail us a check.
I
mean,
we are not at all picky about
how we get in money.
And another thing to consider, if money is tight in your household, we have so many different volunteering opportunities, not just for backpacks, but throughout the year and things that you might not consider like
If somebody likes graphic design, well, for these events, we always need somebody to design posters and flyers.
Somebody can do that from home or they could help us reach out to volunteers to get volunteers to do some of that
more
physical activity.
Our website, it's wonderful, but it certainly needs tweaking at times.
At the website, there is a link to a volunteer registration form.
And again, this is not meant to tie you up for life.
If you have an hour to spend once a year, great.
We'd be happy to have that hour.
If you have a little more time, that's fine too.
There's lots of ways to help.
If somebody doesn't have a computer like me,
What phone number would you call for the angel mission in
Calumet?
I don't have that number.
Come
on, Lisa.
I know.
Well, I'm always using my email, but we'll find that out.
No, I'm just messing with you.
Yeah.
But that's a good point because even if you don't have a computer, if you're willing to talk to people, you can, you know,
We have a need for communication all the time to coordinate among volunteers, to maybe reach out to area businesses to see if they'd be willing to have a box for a program or a donation can.
Okay, I have a number 9067296789.
That might be it.
I don't know.
I thought
it would be a 337 number for some reason.
But yeah, so anyway, yeah, because yeah, you just can just call Elaine's cell phone and it's 906.
Okay, wait a
second here.
I better
not do that.
No, no, no, no.
So that number is 906-729-6789.
It counting up, 6789.
not all righty well um well everybody get out there and stuff that bus
you know so they can stuff those backpacks because they the kids how did you say there's like pre-registration is there a how many have you gotten registered already or do you know
um right now it's still fairly early in the process but um usually within
Probably next week I expect it's going to be at least a couple hundred if not three hundred Once the word gets out and when do they pick them up?
They pick them up depending on the location.
We have three locations the Salvation Army Copper Country Angel Mission and Lance Methodist Church
Tell us how it goes.
Yes.
Come in and tell us how it goes.
Okay.
All right.
Thank you.
Thank you.