FARGO (KFGO) – Operation Sleep Out was set to end Saturday night at the Red River Valley Fairgrounds, but Mark J. Lindquist announced Friday night that he has one night left after that.
Lindquist said his campaign to raise awareness, money, and supplies for the people of Ukraine has far exceeded his expectations and, after a KFGO article about Operation Sleep Out was recently cited in Forbes, he is going to take the campaign to Manhattan.
“Since I have so much supply here that I can’t carry it on my person, (and) since we have some momentum -and I guess I’m the face of it – I’m going to fly to New York City on Jan. 2,” Lindquist said. “I’m going to take this tent, and you’re going to see this on my Facebook Live and YouTube Live and social media. Because I’m going to camp in front of the Good Morning America studio until they allow me to tell Americans how they can help Ukrainians.”
The trailer-full of donations Lindquist has received during Operation Sleep Out, which have come from all over the region, will be shipped through his partners in January.
Lindquist said he told Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney that he thought Operation Sleep Out was something that could be done as a community, and he feels it has been.
“HERO volunteered to allow us to sort all of our clothes there on New Year’s Day. Fix-It-Forward Ministries and Autocare allowed us to use their locations as dropboxes. The Fairgrounds pitched in. Bell Bank pitched in. The Lights in West Fargo… it was a whole community effort,” Lindquist said.
Lindquist has been sleeping in a frigid Fargo cold that has neared -40 degrees air temperature some nights. He is inviting the public to bring their tents and warm gear to the Fairgrounds to join him Saturday night.
On Sunday, he will sort the donations on Sunday before flying to New York City on Monday.
You can follow Lindquist’s journey on social media using #operationsleepout or at markjlindquist.com.
