Inspiring kids kick in to help in Grand Forks flood relief
By Kyra Hoggan
While many of the stories coming out of the flooding in Grand Forks have been heart-breakingly tragic, many have also been heart-breakingly uplifting, as well – including the one about 10-year-old Logan Engen and his friends.
When Engen and his friends – Greg Hills, Hunter Watson, Daymek Surnak, Ryley Wolfram and Justin Hills – found out a classmate had lost everything but the shirt on his back in the flood, they mobilized.
“On Thursday, they walked all the downtown and used their own money to buy a big can of iced tea crystals and cups,” said Logan’s Dad, Dean Engen, adding the idea of fund raising was first brought up by a memo from the boys’ teacher, Mr. Lundgren.
“They set up a stand. I helped a little with an extension cord and a coffee maker. They also sold phyrahi, the Russian tarts. Logan didn’t leave his post for three days.”
But the boys didn’t stop there – not by a long shot.
“They were running up and down the streets with posters, going door-to-door selling iced tea and getting donations. They really kept up the initiative.
“People were driving by and stopped to give them money.”
At the end of three days of relentless campaigning, the boys managed to raise in excess of $1,100 in cash and in-kind donations for their classmate, including a $250 bike and $100 gift certificate from Wild Ways.
In a phone interview Sunday, Logan said he never expected this kind of response.
“No, not at all. It was really cool,” he said, adding the reason he did this was, “For our friend Julian, he lost his house and everything.”
When asked what advice he would give any other kids who are looking to help out in their communities, Logan didn’t miss a beat:
“Think big!”
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