1st Cardboard City event won’t be columnist’s last

PALMER — It started on the air on KVRF’s morning show last Tuesday when Mike and I were interviewing Laurie Kari, Executive Director of Family Promise Mat-Su. That’s when Mike suggested I should attend the upcoming eighth annual Cardboard City at the Palmer fairgrounds.

Even before he asked me if I had the skills to make a shelter, I knew something was up by the mischievous grin on Mike’s face.

“Of course,” I shot back, “after all my time in the Army, I could build a “hooch” from just about anything and in 25 minutes.”

Now I’ll bet dimes to dollars you’re asking “Just what is this Cardboard city thing?” It’s an annual fund-raising event to combat homelessness in Alaska put on by Family Promise Mat-Su, church groups, and many others in the Valley. Participants gather on the state fairgrounds by the Green Gate. Each $50 donation allows you to “rent” a box to turn into a shelter for a night.

It is a great way to educate people about how it feels to be outdoors and homeless. And it’s a great reminder to be grateful for the roof over your head and a real bed. Tarps and duct tape are a must and even encouraged. The reason? Rain has fallen on every one of these mid-July gatherings.

I was looking forward to the challenge Friday evening. Besides, it meant I would get to break in the new rucksack I bought in a thrift store. (U.S. Army circa 1943) For me this was like going to the field for some good Army training. And I lived in the field a lot in those days.

Friday dawned gloomy, cold and gray with light rain, perfect for Cardboard City. It was living up to its damp reputation in spades. I was honored to represent KVRF 89.5 Radio Free Palmer and the Mat-Su Frontiersman — I even wore my Frontiersman T-shirt — officially. Unofficially and personally, I was doing this for homeless veterans. Many live this way in the Valley today at this moment, some year-round.

I raised about $150 for the cause. (It was my first time actively fund-raising in a very long time). So technically I had enough for two boxes plus the gear I brought to make my “hooch.” Hey, when it comes down to living in the field, this old GI still has the stuff to pull it off. Old Army issue tent stakes and tent poles, a green tarp, and an old rickety wooden Army cot that has seen better days, like its owner. Wet weather gear, a change of socks, an Arctic extreme sleeping bag plus a wool blanket, both Army issue way back when and most importantly — toilet paper. Never, ever leave home without that! I threw my trusty old field jacket and wool sweater into my “new” ruck and I was set. Whatever was left went into a duffle bag and was tossed into the car. So I was all prepared for whatever the weather could dish out as I drove through the gate at the fairgrounds’ south end.

Thankfully it was dry, although the dark clouds above threatened rain. I parked the car inside the fence. I asked for the person in charge and was directed to Laurie Kari, whom I found wearing a blue Family Promise Mat-Su T-shirt standing on a rise a short distance away.

“Hi I’m Dan Grota. We talked on the radio Tuesday morning.”

We exchanged brief hellos before Kari was called away for a TV interview. Now I had a face and a warm handshake to go along with the voice!

We did end up talking quite a lot later in the night.

The area was perfect, close to the restrooms and on high ground. So I set to work making my camp with boxes supplied by Valley Recycling. That is where I ran into Dewey Taylor. He was my guide for my tour of the recycling center and one my chief sources of the article I wrote earlier this year.

“Hey Dan great article you wrote about us. So what do want in boxes? I have a good one here for you,” he said pointing to a nice box about 6-feet long.

“Yeah, that does look good. I’ll take it and I will be back for my second piece.”

Dewey chuckled, “I’ll be here all night!”

I dragged the box up the hill to my spot and spread it out. It was chest high, a little longer than my cot and 3-feet wide. The top and bottom were gone. In other words, perfect. All I needed was a box half to make the top sections and duct tape to secure it. Those were quickly gathered up along with a roll of good duct tape that was far better than my roll. (Duct tape was supplied for the event.) Then I went to work.

More and more people were showing up. Shelters of all sizes and shapes began to spring up all over the place. Steel drum music filled the air while we worked. It was turning into a city of cardboard boxes and tarps. Some people went even further and painted their cardboard creations. One box was built into the shape of a car, another straight from Dr. Seuss.

I was having a blast. After getting the box built with duct tape in strategic places to hold the roof in place with an opening for a skylight, I began to cut a door with my Gerber multi-tool knife. After that it was time to break out the tarp, along with the tent stakes and poles. I spread the green tarp over my little cardboard shelter, then anchored it down with the stakes and a bit of rope. Once it was cinched in place, I positioned the two tent poles at either side of the entrance. I wiggled the cot inside and followed that up with the ruck, sleeping bag and my blue lawn chair set just outside. I topped off my shelter with a U.S. flag given to me by another participant and it was done. Time taken? About 45 minutes. Darn, I’m getting rusty.

“Hey that isn’t bad.” Said a voice behind me. I turned to see a woman in a black “Country Legends 100.9” coat and cap. They matched the truck parked across from me. This was my new neighbor.” Hi I’m Kathy Mitchell. That shelter isn’t bad at all.” Kathy is a DJ for Legends 100.9.

“Well, I had a little practice. Hi I’m Dan Grota. I’m with KVRF. You know Big Cabbage Radio?”

She smiled at that. Kathy and I would get along really good during this event, which turns out to be her seventh taking. Her box shelter was made from a Gaylord shipping box with cardboard rolls supporting it. Wood pallets made floor.

“The trick is memory foam on the inside. Good on the old back,” she said with grin.

It was sound advice from a veteran Cardboard City participant.

In my excitement, I’d forgotten to check in. So Kathy showed where to register, and that’s where I ran into Mollie Boyer of Valley Community for Recycling Solutions.

This was turning out into quite the shindig. Families, church groups, media types and people from all walks of life were having fun under gray skies making shelters form boxes, scraps, tarps and duct tape. Red Green of the Red Green Show would be proud.

The band changed over to a folk act called No Way. The three-man band was pretty good and had a thing for Neil Young tunes. Something Dewey, Cathy and I really got into. Even Mollie was getting down to the tunes. Then it was time for chow. Chow was actually soup from Turkey Red, Vagabond Blues and Bistro Red Beet along with breads from House of Bread. My canteen cup was filled to the rim with Hobo stew. Both soup and bread were lip-smacking good. Seconds were encouraged (and welcome).

Next came the judging of the shelters by Israel Nelson, a Family Promise staff member. Nelson, a tall man who looks like he’d be more at home on an Amish farm, showed up at my hooch carrying a small chair, borrowed from a child in his entourage. We sat and visited about my shelter, how did I make it, what went into it he wanted to know.

He liked it, he said. In fact, he liked it a lot, enough for me to be awarded the “Most Relevant to the Cause” award. The Dr. Seuss house would win over all. The tower it sported blew down in five minutes when the first squalls came in. But it looked real cool.

Pretty soon it was 10 p.m., time for bedtime stories by Dave Cheezem of Fireside Books. He did very well and a lot of us laughed at some of the stories. The intermittent rain did not dampen the spirits of this year’s Cardboard City campers. Nothing bad, nothing like what some others went through in past years.

With all the excitement of building cardboard shelters, good music and friends new and old it was time for this old GI to rack out. The rickety cot creaked as I shimmied into my sleeping bag, pulling my old wool blanket over the top. I had a great view out the door. Outside the rains had stopped, but the wind had not. The sounds of the tarp flapping and the traffic from the Glenn kept me awake most of the night, but I eventually found shuteye.

I woke up about 4:45 a.m., stiff, sore and feeling every one of my 54 years on this earth. I got up and found that Laurie and Mollie plus a few others had pulled an all-nighter keeping the coffee on and the gates secure.

We greeted the gray dawn over the scent of morning and day-old coffee.

This was a great experience, something whole families and social groups can get into and enjoy all the while helping Family Promise Mat-Su provide food and shelter to many in the Valley.

The need is great, the cause is good. I’m hooked. Care to join me next year?

Wasilla resident Daniel D. Grota retired from the U.S. Army after more than 21 years of service.