*Setting the table before my Alpha guests come in for dinner.*

May 2025 - Present

I have an Alpha story. This isn’t it. I have volunteered with Alpha numerous times. This is different.

The short story here is that I have been leading an Alpha group at my little church for a couple months. I am the administrator, trainer, host, and chef. I was able to secure 2 table hosts and get my pastor on board. I attend a very small church, and its difficult to get people to understand what I am trying to share with them. Alpha changed my life and I tell anyone who will listen to me all about it.

Summer 2022

In the summer of 2022 I took home a cargo trailer, gutted it, and remodeled the entire thing. I turned it into a mobile coffee house which our church could use to sling drinks in the morning to attendees. However, it would also hook up to a truck and haul out to events, could rent out to weddings or baseball games. I wanted to create something that could generate revenue for our different charities or the youth program, but could also benefit the events we held as well. It worked out beautifully and even gave the older high school kids some training they could take with them on their resumes. It also turned into a wonderful hub to gather around on Sunday mornings!

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*Close enough counts in Horseshoes, right? Two participants debate points during the bracket event over Decathlon Weekend.*

Summertime 2008 - 2018

In the summer of 2008 a small event began which was titled the 503-Decathlon. I participated and it was hilarious and fun. In the summer of 2009 I took over the planning and execution of the event. Eventually it grew large enough that it was run by committee and all events/duties were delegated out.

The 503-Decathlon is 10 events, one of which is a small triathlon. Every summer it’s opened up to male/female teams that wish to participate, pay the entry, and can show up for a full weekend. It involves gaining sponsors/venues, organizing and planning events, set up of bracketed sports and tournaments (I use the term “sports” loosely of course), managing funds, setting up a rule book for operations, securing accommodations for those needing overnight stays, and so much more! It’s a fabulous time and worth every effort put in. After 10 years it was put to rest, but the memories were most definitely made!

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In 2020 we had a massive forest fire in our valley. It started in the middle of the night, residents had no warning. It spread quickly because of the wind. 4000 homes were destroyed. This photo I took of the bridge at our coast - over an hour away from the nearest fire and our home.

Sept 2020

Wildland fire fighters were shipped in from all over the world to help fight the Beachie Creek Fire of 2020. Working as a hauling company with both friends and clients in that area, and having grown up in the rural counties of the area, I had heard several reports of how these crews were suffering up there. It was 2020 and the world was shut down. Our land and homes were burning, equipment was scarce, processes were halted and roads cut off. So, my daughters and I shopped and drove up. I requested permission to pass the safety perimeter and set up shop with 3 friends in an abandoned street near base camp for the fire fighters. We made stew, chili, chowders, hot bread, burgers… We set up chairs and loungers so they could nap. We showed up day after day with breakfast and Tylonal, soda, water, and filled their thermos’ with hot coffee. My daughters served them and listened to stories about their own kids. We listened to what it was like up the mountain. We hugged them and thanked them. There were others doing the same thing in smatterings all around the valley. We were only needed for several days before their supply drop could come in and Oregon could properly take care of them... but in a way we already had.

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