Coats for Kids at Lucas Oil Stadium

I've written about this event before, I'm sure.  Channel 13 in Indy partners up with The Salvation Army and Tuchman Cleaners to collect and distribute free winter coats for needy children.  Channel 13 does the advertising and provides the TV "celebrities".  Tuchman Cleaners cleans all of the donated coats.  Salvation Army provides the volunteers and elbow grease to get the coats sorted and distributed (on October 11th at the State Fairgrounds).  For several years, the Indianapolis Colts organization has provided a venue for collecting coats from home-game-goers for one game in September.  SATERN (Salvation Army Team Emergency Network) has provided communications for several years now.  I am the SATERN Coordinator for Indiana, so I was there...with a team of four others...to help get the job done.  We took in 1,263 coats at the game today.  (More come from other sources.) 

We were at the new Lucas Oil Stadium.  Whoop-de-doo!  It really was easier working around there than at the RCA Dome, but I probably walked a couple of miles today.  My folks worked hard.  I really think TSA doesn't know what unsung heroes their own radio communicators are.  They needed us but didn't ask.  (I called up the team.)  Not sure how things would have gone had we not been there...  We will also work the distribution in October. 

The REAL hero for the day is a ham named Jacob KC9OAD, who has only been licensed since July.  Two weeks ago, he checked into our weekly net and heard me looking for volunteers for today.  He mentioned that he would be parking vehicles at Indianapolis Welding Supply on McCarty Street, close to the stadium, and essentially invited us to park there.  We showed up and met him.  He/they were furiously parking cars for $25 a crack.  My team took up two spaces and didn't pay a cent.  It makes volunteering a whole lot sweeter when it doesn't cost a fortune to help!  I owe the young man a thank-you note, at the very least.  He saved us many steps and some $$.  (Last year, I think we parked at least a mile away.)  

Before I left shortly after noon, Meg (who had professed to being overwhelmed today) was desolate because the children were on the way home already.  She didn't have all of her homework done, and I was going to be gone.  Thankfully, when I returned, all was peaceful.  (Sometimes, Sunday evenings turn into horrible events!)  In any case, we got everyone fed and bedded without too many problems.  Tomorrow is one of the Monday evening deals where both children have to be in different places at the same time...so we will have to split the difference.  Plus, my friend Patrick is coming to town.  I hope I can accommodate him without too many dented feelings all around.

The Colts lost.  :(  Still, it was a good day.  I could have spent the time here at home, but what we did was for a good cause.  I don't ever regret that.  God leads.  I try to follow.  And He is leading me to bed now.  I'm pooped!