|
Last modified: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 3:46 PM CST
Wahpeton is a special place
Last week our men’s basketball team was returning to Sioux City, Iowa, after playing two games at Mayville State University. About 30 miles south of Fargo, our 24 passenger bus started losing its power. We exited Interstate 29 to seek assistance in Wahpeton. Our bus "died" right in the middle of an intersection close to Smith Motors. Looking for any help I could find, I ran into Joel Sirek. Joel dropped everything he was doing to help us. (In fact, I think he lost a sale because of us!)
He made several calls to try to get us back on the road that night with no success. He then arranged to have the vehicle worked on first thing in the morning. He contacted a local hotel and then along with his son Parker and an employee, they shuttled the entire team and our equipment. Finally, he had a wrecker service deliver our bus to Vision Ford for repair. When asked what I owed him for all his hassle, he replied,“Nothing.”
Very few members of our team had been to North Dakota and none of us had ever been to Wahpeton. But now because of one man it is very clear to all of us that North Dakota is a special state and Wahpeton is a very special community!
TODD BARRY is the head of men’s basketball at Briar Cliff University, Sioux City, Iowa.
|
