3
Beards make you
Number of whiskers on the face of the average man:
63%
more likely to win staring contests.
30,000
On average, a man's beard will grow
GROWING A BEARD HAS BEEN A SIGN OF MANLINESS SINCE THE DAWN OF TIME.
5.5 inches
Beards can help filter out dust and pollen if you have allergies.
per year.
If you were to put down the razor and stop shaving forever, your beard would be
27.5 feet!
In the Middle Ages, touching a man's beard was considered offensive and grounds for a duel.
Scientists believe that prehistoric men had beards for:
warmth intimidation & PROTECTION against blows to the face.
2
The number of strokes it takes to shave your entire face?
Between
100 to 600
REFERENCES: http://nextluxury.com/mens-style-and-fashion/50-beard-facts http://distractify.com/old-school/2015/03/22/facts-about-beards-1197889556 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com http://www.history.co.uk/shows/decembeard/articles/beard-fun-facts
The average mustache will trap a
PINT AND 1/2 of beer every single year.
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JULY-AUGUST 2016
CONTENTS
VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 1
18
14
HAVING A BEER WITH ...
COVER STORY BLIND JOE AN OPEN BOOK
WEST FARGO MAYOR RICH MATTERN
02
24
CONTENTS
FATHERS
RESPECT THE BEARD Growing a beard has been a sign of manliness since the dawn of time.
THE DARK SIDE OF CRAWLING It’s like puberty… baby puberty
06
26
MAKE YOUR SUMMER A DRAG, AT TOP END DRAGWAYS
RIDING TOWARD A CURE Annual event helps raise money for cancer research
10
Find out what you didn't know about 'The Voice' Star - p. 18
THE "OTHER FOOTBALL" IS BOOMING
30
LOCAL HEROES WE SALUTE YOU Honor Flight Network pays tribute to veterans with D.C. trips
DO YOU KNOW A LOCAL HERO? Email us at: darren@urbantoadmedia.com 4 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
READ A PAST ISSUE issuu.com/ thegoodlifemensmag
LIKE facebook.com/ thegoodlifemensmagazine
TWEET @urbantoadmedia
The
GOOD LIFE MEN’S MAGAZINE
PUBLISHED BY Urban Toad Media LLP www.urbantoadmedia.com
OWNER / GRAPHIC DESIGNER Dawn Siewert dawn@urbantoadmedia.com OWNER / PHOTOGRAPHER Darren Losee darren@urbantoadmedia.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jessica Ballou Meghan Feir Alexandra Floersch Paul Hankel Ben Hanson Martin Olsen
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Michelle Juhnke / 701-361-1760 michelle@urbantoadmedia.com
The Good Life Men’s Magazine is distributed six times a year by Urban Toad Media LLP. Material may not be reproduced without permission. The Good Life Men’s Magazine accepts no liability for reader dissatisfaction arising from content in this publication. The opinions expressed, or advice given, are the views of individual writers or advertisers and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of The Good Life Men’s Magazine. urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 5
FASTEST RECORDED TRACK SPEED - 219 MPH IN A FUEL DRAGSTER BY CANADIAN RACER CLIFF BAKX, SEPTEMBER 2014 FASTEST ¼ MILE TRACK TIME - 6.14 SECONDS BY THE HOOTER’S TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR, SEPTEMBER 2006
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BY: PAUL HANKEL ■ PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA
When Charlie McCann became the proprietor of his own drag strip in 2011, he had wanted to still host weekend races, but primarily focus on turning the track’s shop into his own. However, due to zoning laws, he was unable to operate it as a consumer shop and instead shifted his focus to improving the already existent race scene at Interstate Dragways. McCann, a motorcycle guy by background, purchased the track from its previous owner and set about making changes. The Top End Track Top End Dragways is a NHRA Member Track located in Glyndon, Minnesota. Formerly called Interstate Dragways, Top End is the oldest ¼ mile drag strip in MN and was built in 1959 and has been in continuous use for nearly 60 years. Top End is owned by McCann who purchased the track and renamed it Top End Dragways. He immediately set about making some needed changes including launching a new website, adding staff and upgrading the tracks timing system and asphalt racing surfaces. According to McCann, “We continue to a few new things each year, to boost attendance and give the fans a great experience.” So far, he says they’re having success. According to McCann, Top End gets racers from all over the region and from Canada. The track hosts weekend races and has several different races including Street Legals, which is any street car, and Radial Revolution races, which McCann comically described as, “Ridiculously high horse powered cars, running on really small tires!” The Smells No really…the smells are a huge part of the drag racing experience! The fuels, especially exotic ones, fill the air. Race fans are treated to everything from the familiar smell of regular gasoline to the ‘burnt corn field’ smell of full-grain alcohol dragsters flying down the track. “It’s awesome! As screwed up as it may sound – some fans seem to love it!” urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 7
The Visuals From seeing a wide variety of different cars to the rumbling feeling fans feel when a dragsters fires up, Top End is all about providing the visuals and sensory entertainment. “We get a lot of new cars, old cars, imports, muscle cars and dragsters,” says McCann, “you hear a lot of ‘I had one of those!’ from fans, when they see an old car they used to have.” Fans who attend any of Top Ends race weekends will be treated to several different classes and style of races, all taking place on the ¼ mile strip. The Community Environment McCann takes a lot of pride in ensuring that Top End is a top-notch
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and family friendly environment for fans. The track features full concessions, ample seating and recent renovations. While no alcohol is sold at the track, race fans can bring their own coolers. Top End isn’t just a family-friendly environment for fans; it’s a community for the racers as well. “It’s very much a family thing, and I don’t think enough people realize that.” says McCann about the community atmosphere amongst the racers. “Very rarely will someone not be able to make a run because they’re broke. I’ve seen racers pull a part off of their car and give it to
another racer so that they can go race. It’s very much a community.” The Drag Racing Scene While drag racing has been popularized as a Southern pastime, there is a growing contingent of race fans in the northern half of the US, especially in the Midwest. Nationally, NHRA drag racing events can be seen on ESPN2 and weekly draw between 400,000 and 500,000 viewers per race – pretty solid numbers. While the local and regional drag racing scenes draw much smaller crowds and are not televised, there is still a small but loyal following. According to McCann, while the local scene is not as large as he’d hoped, he
and other tracks, such as the raceways in Brainerd, MN, continue to see strong showings of support from their local and regional fans. “We’re not quite where we want to be yet, but I think it’s getting better.” As for Top End Dragways, McCann and his team hope to continue the innovations and exciting growth they are experiencing but adding new classes, drawing in more crowds and increasing their marketing efforts. If you’ve never been to a real race night, do yourself a favor and check out Top End Dragways this summer. You’ll be treated to an exciting, exotic, sensory overloading experience that you’ll remember! • Check out Top End’s website, topenddragways.com, for information on specific events and times.
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SOCCER
BY: MARTIN OLSEN ■ PHOTOS: URBAN TOAD MEDIA
AN ENGLISHMAN, A MEXICAN, AN AUSSIE AND A FARGOAN WALKED INTO A BAR. The Fargoan said in a dreadful Crocodile Dundee accent, “Let’s chuck another shrimp on the barbie, mate,” to which the Australian replied patiently, “Nice try, but we call them prawns in Australia.” The Englishman chimed in that a “Prawn with real hot chips – not those skinny, little American fries – would be perfect.” The Mexican wisely pointed out that seafood was not a great choice for anyone living 1,500 miles from the nearest ocean. 10 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
As always for these four friends, the conversation quickly turned to discussing “the beautiful game” of soccer, which is the world’s only true international sport. The sport brings people from all backgrounds together, and, as with Andres Nunez (the Mexican), it also often brings back fond memories from childhood, playing street soccer in local parks. After countless chats with his close friends, Joe Larson (the Fargoan), the only one in the group who has played soccer professionally, brought forth
the idea of starting a youth soccer club in Fargo that would incorporate all the moments his friends and he enjoyed as youngsters across the globe. “Soccer is ready to explode in Fargo,” Larson said. It was clear from this group of passionate soccer fanatics that they want to build more than just a club. They want to create a soccer culture in Fargo. “I grew up watching my dad’s team play on Saturdays, which meant I
would be at the pitch all afternoon hanging out with friends,” David Pritchard, who grew up in England, said. “The junior games were played on Sundays in a home-and-away format against other local communities, which built some fierce but friendly rivalries between local teams. As a family, we were always in and around the soccer club – volunteering, organizing, refereeing and marking out the fields for the games. I want this kind of experience for my sons here in Fargo.”
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Shortly after this meeting, the FM United Soccer Club was formed to serve the youth of the Fargo/ Moorhead community. The new club was set up as a not-for-profit organization that is run entirely by volunteers from the community, for the community. “Soccer does not take much equipment; a pair of cleats, shin pads, a ball and some goals in a local park,” Nunez explained. “FM United plans to keep the costs of playing organized soccer as low as possible and to make soccer accessible to the whole community.” “There are three good youth soccer clubs in Fargo with over 3,000 youth playing from ages 4-19,” Larson, the president of FM United Soccer
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Club, said. “There are two semiprofessional clubs that are starting up in town, which give the younger players a path to aspire to, beyond high school soccer.” FM United will be providing another option for youth who want to be involved in soccer. “We want to work with the other clubs in town, to provide more local soccer opportunities and assist in the development of a strong local league, where we play more interclub games. There should be fewer teams traveling to Minneapolis to find competitive games,” Larson said. Soccer players are forced to think on the fly and make all the on-field decisions themselves. Larson, who will head up the coaching activities for FM United, said, “Unlike football,
the soccer coach never gets to call the play. There are no time-outs like basketball. In baseball, they don’t even let the runner decide when to run. A coach does that. A soccer coach’s job is on the training field to teach good skills and build a strong team mentality. Once a soccer game begins, success is entirely up to the players on the field.” With the strong focus on teamwork at FM United, their team will be known as the Wolf Pack, taken from this Rudyard Kipling quote: “For the strength of the wolf is the pack, and the strength of the pack is the wolf.” Larson and his friends are confident that their board and extended group of volunteers will make the
process much easier. “We had to incorporate as an organization, source insurance and register with the North Dakota Soccer Association to start. We then needed a website, coaches, documentation, uniforms, grounds to play on and so much more. We have been very busy, but the parents are passionate and we are ready to play our first games.” As with any good sports game, delicious food, reminiscent of each of the men’s various backgrounds, is a necessity to create the total soccer experience. According to the friends, sausage sangers are set to become a favorite food at Fargo soccer games. To raise club funds, you can purchase this Aussie delicacy for $2. In the words of our Australian mate, Martin Olsen, “A sausage sandwich is the lazy version of a hot dog. You take two slices of white bread, grill a sausage (a sausage brat), place the sausage between the two slices of bread, and add tomato sauce (ketchup, to us Americans). It is not junior soccer without one of those in your hands.” FM United is officially launching operations in the fall of 2016, but with the mass excitement in the air, there are five teams that can’t wait that long. They will be playing under the Wolf Pack banner this summer. FM United is open to anyone living in the Fargo, West Fargo or Moorhead area who wants to get more involved in soccer and the soccer community. Keep checking fmunitedsc.org for announcements regarding launch events and team tryouts for the fall. ■ urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 13
RICH MATTERN When West Fargo City Mayor Rich Mattern found out there would be free beer involved, even his thick mustache knew it was time to be interviewed for The Good Life.
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HAVING A BEER WITH
RICH MATTERN BY: MEGHAN FEIR ■ PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA
When West Fargo City Mayor Rich Mattern found out there would be free beer involved, even his thick mustache knew it was time to be interviewed for The Good Life. Although he may have retired from teaching and working in ad communications in 2015, the mayor of 14 years still has a full plate. On yet another blustery day in the real windy city (let’s be honest) at Drekker Brewing Company, we didn’t go over his goals or vision for West Fargo. Instead, we sat down and discussed his admiration for “The Powerpuff Girls” and tacos in a bag. Read on to find out more about this rich, local personality. Good Life: What was it like growing up in Lawrence Welk’s hometown of Strasburg, N.D.? Rich Mattern: He used to come home a couple of times a year, and he would come to the school and play the accordion. He and all his friends would go down to the café, and he’d cook breakfast. He was just one of the guys, affectionately known as “Larry” when he came home. GL: What is your heritage, and has it played a big role in your life? RM: I’m German-Russian, and most people say that Strasburg is behind the Iron Curtain. When I went to first grade, I could barely speak English because my folks always spoke German. urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 15
GL: When you were little, did you think you were destined to be wealthy because of your name? RM: Are you kidding me? Ehhh, no. We weren’t rich, but on the other hand, we had cattle, pigs, chickens and a lot of gophers. We butchered our own, and one of my favorite memories was when my dad and our neighbors would butcher together. These guys – the dads – would switch farms, and every one of them had a different formula for the hamburger or sausage they made. These guys would sample each other’s and be like, “Too much schpice!” or “Not enough schpice!” GL: Would you ever want to wear a sash that says “Mayor,” as the Mayor of Townsville does on “The Powerpuff Girls”? RM: My youngest daughter was into “The Powerpuff Girls,” and Mojo Jojo was my favorite character. Annie and I would be watching it, and she’d go, “Dad! Who’s that!?” “Mojo Jojo!” GL: So would you want a sash? 16 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
RM: To make a long story short, no. GL: If you had a pop band, what name would you want to go by? RM: In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida because that song is over 15 minutes long and those guys were drunk and stoned when they came up with it. It was originally supposed to be called “In the Garden of Eden.” The middle of it is a drum solo. If you’re driving a pickup and it’s storming outside with little pillow drifts, try to hit a little pillow drift as the “Brrrrrrumdumdumdumdum” happens. GL: If you could implement one selfserving day in West Fargo, such as a citywide Bring Your Mayor a Red Velvet Cake Day (BYMRVCD) or a No Kesha Music Allowed Day (NKMAD), what would it be? RM: I think it would be a street dance on Sheyenne Street. They used to once a year, but it got out of hand with people doing stupid stuff. I like jazz and blues, like ZZ Ward, so I’d
like that kind of music played. I don’t like the head-banger stuff. I love Lindsey Stirling. She plays violin and is on my Pandora channel, along with Carrie Underwood, for some reason. GL: Did you ever have an imaginary friend? RM: Ya know, I don’t know that it’s a friend, but a couple of months ago, a friend was sitting next to me in a bar, and he said, “Will you quit that?” I said, “What?” “You’re whistling!” I hadn’t caught myself whistling. I told Jody (his wife), “Will you just hit me when you hear me doing that?” GL: I think that’s a sign of a happy person. RM: I just started doing that after I retired. GL: That’s awesome. RM: No, it’s not awesome. It’s just weird. I’m trying to quit. GL: If Batman/Bruce Wayne and Superman/Clark Kent were running
for mayor, for whom would you vote and why? RM: Who the heck came up with that one? GL: I did! RM to Darren Losee: Slap her, will ya? GL: Heyyyyy. RM: I dare you to ask Mayor Bloomberg that question. GL: Oh, I totally would. RM: I’ve always been a Superman guy because some of the Batman stuff has been too dark for me – the movies. Superman has always been on the up and up, and Lois Lane was a good-looking girl, so why would I want to cheer for Batman? Superman is a little bit more open and transparent. GL: Tacos in a bag or burgers in a bun? RM: Tacos in a bag. Easy answer. GL: Which U.S. president has influenced you the most? RM: Even though I’m a republican and Ronald Reagan did really well, I’d go with John F. Kennedy. “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” I think I will always remember that quote. GL: What does “the good life” mean to you? RM: Ya know, I get up in the morning when I want to get up in the morning. I go to the gym. I’m having a good time with my family. I’m retired now. Life is good. ■
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BY: ALEXANDRA FLOERSCH ■ PHOTOS: URBAN TOAD MEDIA
To say that one conversation with Joe Bommersbach could be life changing isn’t a stretch. One moment he’ll be cracking jokes and making you wonder if a comedic career isn’t still in the cards, the next he’ll leave you choking back tears as you realize all of the things you’ve taken for granted in your own life. The man that America knows as Blind Joe from The Voice has much more to offer than musical talent and a fresh perspective. He’s an open book, sharing what he’s learned along the way and chasing any dream within reach. He’s an incredible human, to say the least. But his openness has nothing to do with living 33 years — his entire life — without sight. While America may have scratched the surface on Joe, he’s willing to divulge so much more. For the Joe you haven't yet gotten to know, no topic is off limits.
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“You grow up and realize what’s impor tant: my wife, family, friends and being true to your music.”
He’s dedicated to his fans Those who follow Blind Joe on Facebook and Twitter know how dedicated he is. When you question who’s behind his genius social media strategy, he’s quick to reassure you that it's him, not some marketing manager putting a coat of sugar on everything. “That’s all me,” he said. “It can be taxing at times, but it’s part of the gig — a huge part of it.” Just like he follows his favorite bands and stars on social media, he promises to be there for his own devotees. As with anyone, technology plays a big part in Joe’s life. Music-related apps like Bandsintown allow him to update fans about upcoming shows, while another 20 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
app, Indiehitmaker, give him a way to track album sales both physically and digitally. Custom built apps for the blind and visually-impaired, like TapTapSee, help Joe recognize his surroundings. After taking a photo, the app writes a brief describing the photograph. This is especially useful for everyday tasks like identifying canned products in the cupboard or just figuring out the color of his shirt, he shared. Grandpa introduced him to music While he received his first guitar at age five, Joe’s first vivid musical memory came years earlier. His grandfather, who was an accordion player, was an excellent teacher. Before long, Joe had memorized the words to the old-school country songs grandpa sang and played. One night, when the three-year-old yearned to showcase what he had learned, grandpa gathered the band to give Joe his first gig in the basement. “We pulled off a rippin’
rendition of Frosty the Snowman,” Joe said, reminiscing with his signature smile spread wide. “[Grandpa] put his heart and soul into what he did.” In the years following, Joe and his grandfather “jammed all the time,” always sticking to traditional country ballads from artists like Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. Joe’s roots in music run deep, and the inspiration grandpa left him is the reason for his career today. He’s a people person Aside from performing shows and producing his latest album — which released on May 5, Blind Joe spends time speaking at school assemblies throughout the area. Messages about perseverance surface from firsthand experiences, as he opens up to students about the obstacles he’s hurdled in his life — both in music and blindness. urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 21
“I’m a hear t-on-my-sleeve kinda dude.”
“Today in social media, and media in general, there's a lot of negativity,” he said. “It’s nice to interact, laugh and realize you can do anything if you put your mind to it.” Being a positive role model is rewarding in and of itself, but Joe says his favorite part of the assemblies are the kids' reactions afterwards. “They say things like ‘Hey, that really inspired me’ or ‘That really hit home,’” Joe said. For Joe, his career is more than performing and making music. “I’m truly blessed to share both my music and stories,” he said. “I’m a people person, an open book. I’m a heart-on-my-sleeve kinda dude.” He attributes his success to his wife On The Voice, Joe mentioned that he and his wife, Liann, might like to start a family. According to the artist, a Joe Jr. isn’t out of the question. “We’ll see,” he said, followed by a chuckle. “We’re not, not trying.” For now, however, the couple is focusing on music. “We’re just really busy and it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down anytime soon,” Joe said. “We would love to have kids, if God blesses us.” When it comes to his busy career, Joe says his wife doesn’t get enough credit. In fact, he deems her most 22 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
instrumental in his success thus far. “She dropped everything for me to achieve my dream,” he explained. Before The Voice, both Joe and Liann worked full-time. While he taught accessibility software to the visually impaired, his wife was a preschool teacher. That is, until one weekend in Chicago changed their fate forever. Auditioning for The Voice, Joe eventually joined Blake Shelton’s team, making it to the Knockout Rounds before he was eliminated. As his music career ramps up, the country music star is thankful for his wife, who drives the two of them to shows, sells merchandise and handles nearly the entire business side of his career. “She’s 80 percent of why it’s able to work,” he said. “She put her goals on hold for mine. She’s an angel.” He’s modest, motivational and true to himself While Joe’s original plans were to record his latest album in Nashville, he ended up in Atlanta instead. There, he was promised more freedom to record what he wanted; the studio was open to preserving his music style. “I’m not good at faking it,” he said. “What you see is what you get. I will not compromise my music integrity for money.” When asked what was in the cards for his future, Joe said he has no plans to sell out stadiums — no rockstar-kinda dreams like when he was younger. “You grow up and
realize what’s important,” he said. “My wife, family, friends and being true to your music.” For now, Joe’s goals for his latest album are to “Get as much word of mouth as I can get and sell records.” From there, he hopes be invited to tour with an established musician to open another door. He plans to “Keep reaching, moving and doing better one day at a time,” he said. To other struggling musicians out there, Joe speaks honestly. At the end of the day, billions of fans and records sold doesn’t mean a thing. “All of that crap doesn’t matter,” he said. “Don’t compromise yourself. Be real, work hard.” He admits that life has its struggles, but none of them are worth quitting over. “There’s always going to be naysayers,” he said. “At the risk of sounding like a Nike commercial… just do it. It’s there for the taking.” When asked what the good life means to him, Joe responded. “A roof over your head, food on the table and making music on the daily.” For Joe, the good life is simple. To “eat and live well, surrounded by good people — family and friends — and faith in God.” ■
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THE DARK SIDE OF
CRAWLING
BY: BEN HANSON ■ PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA
Last week my son, Macklin, finally figured out how to crawl. For months, he struggled to get his big, chubby left leg unstuck from underneath his even bigger, chubbier belly. You could see the frustration in his eyes. You could also hear it quite plainly in his not-so-subtle whimpers for help. He was struggling so much that my wife and I were convinced he’d be walking before he’d be crawling. But more so, we were naively convinced that once he finally got moving, he’d be a smiley, giggly, constantly contented little boy freed from his fatty ball and chain to explore the far reaches of the living room. (Here is where I would swear if swearing were allowed in this family-friendly publication.) We were wrong. Not just off the mark kind of wrong, but wrong in the sense that the exact opposite turned out to be true. Like the time I tried replacing the outlets in the upstairs bathroom. I assumed the circuit breaker that shut off the lights would also shut off the electrical current running to the outlets. I was wrong. The jolt of electricity coursing up my right arm told me so. The realization was sudden, and I screamed like a big, frightened girl. The dog even came running. I was dead wrong (almost literally) about the circuit breaker, and I was dead wrong about crawling. The moment Mack finally rolled over that left leg and started 24 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
moving, the fairytale I didn’t know I was living in ended. As pleased as he was with himself about conquering the challenge of locomotion, he was equally irate that he wasn’t immediately able to move around the room at lightspeed to play with everything all at once. Pre-crawling, one little box of toys would keep him occupied for a solid half hour. Now, toys are lucky to enjoy a three-second lifespan. I would guess we have about 50 toys within his reach at any given time. (Before you get excited, they’re mostly small and almost all second-hand.) Using some very simple arithmetic, 50 toys at three seconds each gives me, a trying-to-keep-it-together stay-at-home dad, exactly 150 seconds of free time to do the dishes, prep supper, fold clothes, go to the bathroom, let the dog out, cut the grass, take out the garbage, eat something, write a few lines and post something witty and cute on Instagram & Twitter (@MrFullTimeDad). If only I could count on those 150 seconds, life would be pie. But I already see my time (and productivity) dwindling. With each passing day Mack’s interest in his toys wanes. The smiley elephant guy with the bendy legs used to be fun, but it seems Mr. Big Shot crawler is suddenly too good to play with such a childish toy. You know what’s fun now? The powerstrip plugged in under the desk. The dehumidifier growing mold in the corner of his bedroom. Anything sharp. The pull cords
hanging off the window shades — you know, the ones that tangle into knots just by looking at them. Oh, and every book on every bookshelf. The only thing more fun than pulling all the books off the shelf is puking on them once they’re in a pile on the floor. It’s a grand ol’ time. What I’m trying to say is, be careful what you wish for, parents, and use your time wisely while you have it. It’s a joy watching my son crawl toward me with a grin smeared across his chubby little face. But crawling has also proved to be a lot like puberty, hurling the kid down an uncontrollable rollercoaster of emotion. A belly laugh now turns into a bucket of free-flowing tears with little explanation or provocation, and I’m left trying to discern a solution to an infantile problem. Literally. Baby puberty — it’s a thing. And it’s just one of many minor horrors of parenting nobody tells you about. Fortunately, I’m here for you. If we’re lucky, I’ll get to keep sharing my tales of life as a stay-at-home dad here in the pages of The Good Life. If not, I guess you’ll just have to follow me online @MrFullTimeDad. • Ben Hanson is a full-time father, part-time writer (for hire). Find him online at www. mrfulltimedad.com and follow his dadventures on Twitter and Instagram @MrFullTimeDad.
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ANNUAL EVENT HELPS RAISE MONEY FOR CANCER RESEARCH BY: JESSICA BALLOU ■ PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA
McCloud, North Dakota, has a population of about 27 people. But once a year nearly 1,500 people and hundreds of horses flock to the small town to raise money for the Roger Maris Cancer Center. 26 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
Cowboy Up Ride Against Cancer is the brain child of Bruce Van Den Einde and a few friends who wanted to do something different to help raise money for cancer. He went to McCloud and started planning a 17-
mile trail ride to the Sandhills and back. “I felt I needed to do something to help in any way we could,” he said. “I didn’t think it was going to grow the
“
I DIDN’T THINK IT WAS GOING TO GROW THE WAY IT DID. IT GREW INTO SOMETHING THAT I NEVER KNEW. urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 27
“
THERE’S NOT TOO MANY TOWNS THAT WILL LET 500 OR 600 HORSES WALK DOWN MAIN STREET, POOP ON THE STREETS AND WELCOME IT. way it did. It grew into something that I never knew.” “When I first started getting this put together, I thought it would a bust and no one would show up,” he added. To his great surprise, there were around 130 riders at the first event, and they raised $15,000.
runs, a golf tournament, a tractor stampede, trail rides, dances, meals and more. Farmers and ranches in McCloud donate their land for campers and horses. Van Den Einde’s wife, Carol, also puts on a small event called the equine wellness clinic.
What started as a one-day event has transformed into a whole weekend of dances, meals, softball tournaments and more. Van Den Einde said the biggest year he can remember had more than 500 riders.
“There’s not too many towns that will let 500 or 600 horses walk down Main Street, poop on the streets and welcome it,” he said with a laugh. Last year there were around 300 riders, and they raised $69,700 for the Roger Maris Cancer Center. This year’s event will take place Aug. 19 and 20.
There are many smaller events as part of the larger event, such as 4-wheeler
Van Den Einde said this event has been totally embraced by people,
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whether they like horses or not. People from Canada, Iowa and other places around the U.S. come to McCloud each year for this event to show their support. Many people paint their horses with the names of people who are going through cancer or who have passed away from cancer to honor and memorialize them. They don’t have a certain goal in mind every year besides trying to beat the year before. Rain or shine, people show up to ride their horses and raise money in the name of cancer research. Van Den Einde said they try to change
up the route a bit every year to be able to make it easier to accommodate everyone from young to old, new to experienced. Each year they do a cowboy prayer before the main event on Saturday, and Joel Heitkamp does his radio show live on Friday night. Cowboy Up Journey for the Cure is a spin-off event that Van Den Einde is planning with a few of the other original people from the first Cowboy Up event. They will ride across the whole state of North Dakota for 16 days and make stops along the way to raise donations. If everything goes according to plan, it will take place in September. All the proceeds from both of these events go to the Roger Maris Cancer Center. The Cowboy Up Committee, comprised entirely of volunteers, has raised about $563,623 total over the past 11 years for the Roger Maris Cancer Center in Fargo. The committee also received the 2010 North Dakota Volunteers of the Year award from the AFP ND Northern Plains chapter. Van Den Einde said he wanted to thank the committee members for their dedication and support. • urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 29
Honor Flight Network Pays Tribute to Veterans with D.C. Trips Jane Matejcek loves helping people. As a nurse at the Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Fargo for 25 years, she loves connecting with and honoring veterans. Back in 2007, she served on two of the first four Honor Flight trips out of Fargo. After just returning from her sixth Honor Flight trip, Matejcek
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is more passionate than ever about getting the word out about the Honor Flight Network. History of Honor Flight Network The Honor Flight Network was started by Earl Morse in 2005 after the World War II Memorial was built in Washington, D.C. Morse was a physician assistant and retired Air
Force captain who worked at a VA clinic in Springfield, Ohio. He often discussed the new WWII memorial with his veterans, and most said it wasn’t feasible due to their health or lack of extra funds. Morse was also a private pilot and a member of the aero club at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in
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Two years later, Tracy Briggs, who works for The Forum and WDAY, helped bring the Honor Flight Network to North Dakota. Between 2007 and 2009, there were 11 flights total in the state of North Dakota in Fargo, Grand Forks and Bismarck.
Dayton, Ohio. He came up with the idea to personally fly one veteran at a time out to the memorial and back. He asked other members of the aero club to get involved and help cover the cost so the Veterans wouldn’t have to pay anything. Eleven pilots stepped up to help.
The program continued to grow, and by the end of 2005, 137 WWII veterans were able to see the memorial in D.C. The original mission remains the same: veterans do not have to pay a cent to go on these trips. All the money raised helps fund the cost of the airline, hotel, etc.
‘They need to know’ After chatting with one of her Korean War veterans January of 2016, Matejcek asked him if he was interested in going on an Honor Flight to visit the Korean War Memorial. She said he was so enthusiastic in his response that she told him she would try to get another flight out by end of the year. She called people she worked with on previous Honor Flights and asked them to serve on the current committee. The first flight out of Fargo’s Hector International Airport was in October 2015 with 89 veterans, including 35 WWII veterans. The trip this past May included 94 veterans. urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 31
It was important to Matejcek that her daughters are involved in fundraising and volunteering with the veterans as well. “They need to know how the country became what it is today and who sacrificed for it,” she said. ‘They feel that comradery’ On nearly every flight so far, some veterans have connected with people they haven’t seen since they were in the service or they find people with something in common. On the trip last October, the veterans were able to get a private tour of the National Archives. They were also able to see the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, the document signed by General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Nimitz that ended World War II that isn’t usually on display. One of the veterans who flew on that trip was one of the original Monuments Men, a group of men and women who went behind enemy lines during WWII and returned more than 5 million artistic and cultural items stolen by Hitler and the Nazis. After the trip, the National Archives caretaker posted photos and other information about the WDAY Honor Flight program and its veterans on the National Archives website.
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On one of the previous flights, a group of cadets had been paired up with WWII veterans at the WWII Memorial when something amazing happened. As a cadet approached the next veteran stepping off the bus, they discovered they both had recently lost family members in the same military helicopter accident a few weeks beforehand. “So many of these heroes don’t talk about what happened until they go out there,” Matejcek said. “I think they feel that comradery. Those who never said a word start talking, and those who always talked remember something new.” One of the veterans told Matejcek his unit received a Presidential Commendation for sinking the most tonnage in one day. As a pilot, he was dropping bombs on ships near Japan. He hadn’t thought of it or remembered the commendation for the past 60 years. “These things just come out when they get there,” Matejcek said, adding that several family members have messaged to say they’ve heard new stories since their loved one went on an honor flight. “Miracles happen on these flights,” she said. “That’s my favorite part is seeing miracles.”
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‘This is why we do that’ Before each trip, bios are compiled for each veteran with his or her hometown, where he or she went to boot camp, what his or her duty was, where he or she was stationed and what his or her proudest moment was. Each veteran gets a book filled with those bios on their flight out of Fargo. If they raise enough money, they hope to do another Honor Flight trip either this fall or next spring. During their deployment, veterans often looked forward to getting mail from home. As a surprise, the committee secretly reaches out to each veteran’s contact person and asks friends and family members to write letters of gratitude. As the veterans leave the banquet the first night of the trip, they are given an envelope filled with letters. “On the October flight, one veteran
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said he got to the third letter and couldn’t read anymore; he was just so emotional,” Matejcek said. “He said, ‘I didn’t know anybody still cared.’ This is why we do that.” As of mid-May, there were nearly 800 letters for the trip May 22. The night they return from D.C., there’s a big welcome home party at the airport. Terry Richardson, the President of the United Patriotic Bodies, arranges the send-off and welcome home. The Color Guard, cheerleading teams, a military band and more are all at the airport celebrating the veterans. “They never got that before, so it’s really cool,” Matejcek said. “I’m so
passionate about this. It’s just such an amazing experience.” ‘Blanket of peace’ One of Matejcek’s favorite parts of these trips is seeing the healing and the peace it brings to those who go on it. “I had a veteran tell me it’s one thing to go to D.C. and see the sites, but it’s an entirely different perspective when you get to go there with comrades who witnessed what you witnessed,” she said. “There’s like this blanket of peace, really, that comes over them,” she added. “It’s okay.” ■ If you would like to volunteer or get involved, leave a message on the WDAY Honor Flight Facebook page or visit www.wdayhonorflight. areavoices.com. urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 35
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