This Side Of Country With Trav And Kjiesta
This is a 95.9 KRFF post show podcast that plays back special guest interviews that aired live on air hosted by Trav & Kjiesta. "This Side Of Country" airs Monday - Friday 9am to 11am (CST) on 95.9 KRFF heard throughout the Fargo/Moorhead area, also streaming everywhere at radiofreefargo.org The show was voted "Best Local Radio Show Of The Red River Valley" 2021, 2024, and 2025! It spotlights the music from midwest country artists, new indie country from around the world, and celebrates the legends of country! It also features in studio special guests, interviews, performances, fun segments and more!
This Side Of Country With Trav And Kjiesta
Hero Bash Interview
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Hero is back with their 22nd Annual Hero Bash! Check out all the event details!
Hi, it's Matthew Carlson with Fix It Forward Auto Care and Ministry. We're proud supporters of your community station at 95.9 KRFF. Thank you, Radio Free Fargo, for being you.
unknownFix it forward auto care.
SPEAKER_02This side of Country Live with Trav and Kiesta. Slam a coffee, then grab another cup, and tune in Monday mornings on 95.9.
SPEAKER_05Well, our good friends at Hero have a big bash coming up. They're celebrating 30 years and they want you to be a part of it. This is their 22nd annual Hero Bash. Help support their mission, their cause, and help support those here in the community. And in studio, we've got the lovely ladies of Hero. Good morning to the both of you. Thanks for making time.
SPEAKER_04Good morning. Thank you for having us.
SPEAKER_05Are you ready for the long weekend? What are you guys gonna do to celebrate? I know you've been working hard over there getting ready for the event, the bash, but what are you gonna do to fill your cup this weekend before you jump right back in?
SPEAKER_04Uh well, this weekend I think I'm going to the Minkoda Festival on Saturday. Sure. I'll hang out there a little while. Okay. And I think I'm gonna have some relaxation time because, like you said, we're gearing up for the bash, and next week is gonna be go, go, go. So absolutely. How about yourself? What do you got planned for the weekend?
SPEAKER_01You know, I think I might head down to the Red River Market. Yes. Yes, they got a lot of great vendors down there. And like Tanya said, just taking the time to relax and get ready for the bash.
SPEAKER_05Absolutely. Well, we want to get into the bash here in just a minute, but I want to talk a little bit about what Hero does. A lot of the community has heard about it. Maybe they haven't needed their services just yet. I know my family has, and we're very grateful for you all. What does Hero do?
SPEAKER_04Sure. Hero stands for Healthcare Equipment Recycling Recycling Organization. We collect donated medical medical equipment and supplies from the community, like wheelchairs, walkers, canes, hospital bed, um, incontinent supplies. Anything medical we collect. Fantastic. And we serve it back to the community. So we have a local mission, okay, a global mission, and an environmental mission. That's amazing. Yes. Now you've been at this for 30 years. So this year's your 30th anniversary. This year we are celebrating 30 years of serving the Moorhead Fargo Moorhead community and the region in general.
SPEAKER_05Absolutely. Now, this is wonderful. Have you seen the need for the services you provide grow over the years?
SPEAKER_04We certainly have. It's been an increase of needs and services, and we've been able to help. Um, and we're trying to even do more of expansion into other regions and into rural communities.
SPEAKER_05Okay, now do you work closely with uh, you know, like the hospitals and things like that so that they can kind of refer people over to you? Not everybody has the money for a brand new piece of equipment, and that's kind of where you come in to make sure that they've got that support. Do you work with the hospitals?
SPEAKER_04We do. So we're grateful to work with Sanford Health, Essentia Health, and all of the agencies, the local agencies, a lot of the local um physical therapy and occupational agencies, as far as um um their partnership. They always send us referrals, and we're part of sometimes a part of their discharge plan.
SPEAKER_05Awesome. Now you talked about this is also a global mission that you have as well. Give me the backstory on that. I can't believe the mission you have, and it's coming right out of Fargo.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, that's amazing. So in uh the last 30 years, we've actually served and have participated in over 840 global missions. Wow. And that's going to uh May one has been over the years has been Haiti. Yeah. Um we've gone to Bolivia, we've gone to um Peru and other other nations by way of other agency partners and partnerships that we have out of the Twin Cities.
SPEAKER_05Amazing. What what got you connected with that global mission in the first place? That's amazing.
SPEAKER_04You know, that's how they started off in the very beginning. So we started off with two operating room nurses who learned about um recycling and redistribution. Wow at a conference back in over in California, and they came back from an American Nurses Association conference and started just kind of saying, you know what, we want to help and we want to do more. We see there's an opportunity to uh recycle reusable uh medical, you know, supplies and things like that. And so they started and they started off as a global mission. And then people started learning about what they were doing globally and decided, hey, well, we could use a pair of crutches, we could use uh a wheelchair locally, and then they kind of shifted towards a local mission as well.
SPEAKER_05Amazing. I know my family, when my grandma was here, God rest her soul, uh, we went and got equipment from you all, and then of course, when she passed, we donated that equipment right back to you. And uh so we're we're truly grateful for everything that you do here in the community, and we want to continue supporting what you do here in the community because, as you said, the need is growing as we grow as a community. So that's absolutely fantastic. Absolutely. And one of those ways we can support you is coming up the 22nd annual Hero Bash. Give me all the details here. This looks very exciting. I'm seeing a Las Vegas theme this year.
SPEAKER_01Yes, yes. It is Las Vegas themed. We are bringing Las Vegas to Fargo.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I love it. I love it.
SPEAKER_01It's gonna be at Brewhal on September 17th.
SPEAKER_05Okay, well, that's coming right up. It is about two weeks away. Okay. All right, tell me. Well, so what is there gonna be gambling? Is there gonna be uh is there gonna be the show girls? What are we all doing here in Las Vegas?
SPEAKER_01We do have some casino games, we have some raffle prizes associated with it. So there is an element of winning. Okay, okay. We have our silent auction. Okay. And silent auction, you've got games.
SPEAKER_05Wow. Okay, well, you're talking to the right crowd here. Fargo, we know how to get down with whiskey and wine and and and the beer and everything like that, so that's a great thing. This is gonna be coming up here at uh, you said Brujala?
SPEAKER_01Bruhalla.
SPEAKER_05Doors open at five. Okay, fantastic. Now, is this going to be like a dessert social, a meal social, just beverages, uh finger foods? What I mean, you have me at food when it comes to things like this. What are we gonna be seeing there?
SPEAKER_01We are gonna have a little cocktail hour. The program starts at six. Okay. And then um, we do have a meal by chef's table.
SPEAKER_05Wow. Awesome. That's fantastic. There's gonna be a lot of great things going on here. Now, how can we get involved? It I mean, can you pre-register, pay, get a table, sponsor? What are all the things that we're looking at here so that we can support you?
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. We have sponsorships available. Yep. And um, with that, you get a table with eight seats.
SPEAKER_05Okay.
SPEAKER_01And then there also is individual tickets up for sale on our website.
SPEAKER_05Fantastic. Now, obviously, we want to raise proceeds here. Again, with the wine pole, uh, the whiskey pole, you're gonna have some games that are going on. Uh, silent auction is gonna be a part of this. You can buy an individual ticket, you can get a table. Proceeds, how does that go to support your mission over there at Hero?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, so you know what? We're excited to announce that in this last year we have three new initiatives. Okay. Our first initiative is called Heroes on the Road. Okay. So we're actually going out into rural communities and we're able to have donation drives as well as do a little sales and then just get more awareness and more help into those rural areas because people always call us and they always think sometimes they can't get to us. Yeah. So now we're going to them. So that's a great program. Fantastic. The second program is called Um Safe Steps. Okay. And it's called uh Safe Steps uh Mobility Inspection Program. Okay. And so with this program, we're going into 55 and older communities. Wonderful. Um, and what we're doing is we're actually servicing their equipment. Okay. So sometimes they have a wheelchair or a rollator walker where the brakes are loose and they need to be tightened, or there's a screw that's loose in their equipment and they don't even know it. Right. So we're going onto the property and we're going to be there for a couple hours to make sure everybody's equipment is safe. Fantastic. That's a great program. And then the last program is called Freedom to Rise. Okay. And this program, we're giving away a free power chair every quarter to a deserving community member. Um, and we're excited about that because that this is through nomination. Yeah. Um, and people within a 100-mile radius can be nominated to get that free wheelchair. Absolutely fantastic. So those are our three new initiatives. So all the proceeds are going to those new programs that we have going on. And of course, we have the Hero Care program, which is a part of our Way Fee program as well, too. So we got some great things going on, and we're excited to announce those programs.
SPEAKER_05A lot of ways that the community can get behind you, support you, and continue this mission because, as you said, we're a growing community, the needs are growing, and there's so many different ways that you're branching out to make sure that everyone who needs the support gets that support from Hero right here in the Parker Moorhead community. And one way you can do it too is come on out. Thursday, September 17th. We got the 22nd annual Hero Bash individual tickets. Now, what is the cutoff date, I imagine, for pre-registration for a table and sign up, or is it walk-up? What does that look like?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, so we are still taking uh tables and still taking sponsorships. We're looking for sponsorships as well, too. Okay. Um, and they can do they can actually buy tickets on site as well, too. Individual tickets on site, but tables, we're gonna cut that deadline off on the 14th.
SPEAKER_05Okay, coming up on the 14th. Yeah, tell me about these silent auction items. I know that those are always a big draw. Can you give us a couple uh to to think about or put on the top of our minds so we know what you're gonna have there?
SPEAKER_01Let's see.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, we got some great items. Um, we have a lot of experiences, yeah, some staycations. Um, we have a lot of um just nice packages put together for uh women, children. Um we have a booze basket going. Um we have some children's bikes that are there. Yeah, we have a peanut butter basket, um, just some fun stuff. And really, are you still accepting?
SPEAKER_05We are, please, yes, a hundred percent. I've got a tire rotation and oil change from Fix It Four that I want to donate to you all as well. So hopefully we can bring in some more money there and help support Hero that way.
SPEAKER_04Yes, so we're still accepting sponsorships and we're still accepting selling auction items. And if you love to give a donation, please feel free to do that as well, too. If you can't make it to the bash, you can visit our website at herofargo.org.
SPEAKER_05And when we're there, I imagine we like to see consistent giving, consistent support. Do you have recurring uh uh support that can the community can jump on every month and be a part of?
SPEAKER_04Yes, we have a program that's called The Heart of Hero. Okay, and they can join that program and become monthly givers. Fantastic. Yes, that's put that program that's in existence for a while, and we really appreciate the Fargo Moorhead community for all of their support over the last 30 years. It's been amazing. And I just want to add that um people actually visit our location and they physically come and they do drop-offs, and it's just amazing that our community has been able to fill our need, and it's just been awesome.
SPEAKER_05We've really got the best community, don't we? We do be so supportive. I want to get a personal question to you both before we wrap things up here. What's in it for you being a part of Hero? I work in nonprofit myself, and it really takes special people to be a part of the organization and help give back to the community here. Going around the table here, we'll start with you. What's in it for you? Why do you care so much about being a part of Hero and continuing the mission?
SPEAKER_04You know, I've been I just find it an honor and a pleasure to be there with the help that we provide. Yeah. We have people that come to our doors sometimes that just literally do not have it. Right. And with us being able to gift them with a wheelchair or a walker or a pair of garage crutches, this does my heart good. Yeah. It really does. It's just the heart of hearts of just helping and being our brother's keeper and helping and lifting someone up. And it just it helps. It just makes it different. So I'm going on six years now. Six years. Yeah, I'm going on six years now.
SPEAKER_05Fantastic. Yes. And you do great job over there. Thank you so much for everything you do. How about you for yourself? You're relatively new to the team. Yes. But what drew you to Hero and why do you are you so connected with the cause and the mission?
SPEAKER_01Yes. So this is just my entry into nonprofit, you know. And it has just been, you know, amazing to see the surrounding nonprofits, how we all support each other. There's a great community here. There is. And it's just it's amazing to be able to give back.
SPEAKER_05Absolutely. Well, I can't wait to be a part of your 22nd annual Hero Bash. It's Las Vegas themed. I actually live in Las Vegas for a couple of years, so I know I know that theme very well. I know the fun that it can provide. And what a great cause to have some fun too. Yeah. Can I just add one note?
SPEAKER_04People just um so they know that we have a retail center. Yes. And that you can visit our retail center. It's just like going to the uh Walgreens or to the CBS. Okay. And we're open Monday through Friday. Um, on Mondays we open at 10. Okay. And we're there until 5. And Tuesday through Friday, we're open from 9 a.m. Um until 5 p.m. Except for on Fridays, we close at 3 o'clock now. Okay. So people can visit, they can come, and most of our items in our store are at least 50% or more off. Wow. So you can get band-aids for like a dollar or two dollars. You can get wound care supplies, you can get incontinent supplies, everything that you can purchase from us. Where's your local's your location? Yes, absolutely. So we're located at 5012, 53rd Street, um, south, over there, right next to off of um uh let's see, 52nd Avenue. Right. Right next to the Dakota Boys and Girls Club and the next shopping center, the next concourse over. Fantastic.
SPEAKER_05And where can we find you on social media?
SPEAKER_01You can find us on social media at Hero Fargo.
SPEAKER_05Hero Fargo on social media. That's Facebook, that's Instagram, that's the whole thing. I feel like with you on board and there's some fun opportunities here. Are you doing the TikToks yet? We haven't started TikToks just yet. I feel like with such fun gals in the room, you should be doing TikToks. I see a lot of material there. Yes, that could be fun. That's awesome. Well, from all of us here in the community to both of you. Thank you for everything you're doing over there at Hero. And again, mark your calendars. Thursday, September 17th, the 22nd annual Hero Bash. Come on out. It's Las Vegas themed. You can get individual tickets right now. You can get a table, you can help uh sponsor, you can give those silent auction items. Everything goes back to help support the community here.
SPEAKER_04Yes, absolutely. And feel free to give us a call at 701-K 212-1921, or you can visit our website at herofargo.org. Thank you. Thank you so much, Travis. Thank you.
SPEAKER_05Appreciate you both. I gotta get a selfie with you before we wrap up here.
SPEAKER_02This side of Country Live with Trav and Kiesta. Slam a coffee, then grab another cup, and tune in Monday mornings on 95.9.
SPEAKER_03Fixit Forward Auto Care. The name of Trust for Car.
SPEAKER_00Hi, it's Matthew Carlson with Fix It Forward Auto Care and Ministry. We're proud supporters of your community station at 95.9 KRFF. Thank you, Radio Free Fargo, for being you.