Shoveling Lambeau
Wednesday 16th January 2008
at 03:46pm
I was hoping that this morning would prove 3rd time lucky in the case of my trying to help shovel at Lambeau Field. This was always very high on my list of must do things so already missing out a few times made me a little shaky come this time of year.
My first attempt, on the 5th of December was thwarted by being so far behind on the site that I decided to stay home and work a little before I went out. The call was for volunteers to get there at 8am. I arrived after lunch and was laughed at when I asked if they were still working inside.
My second attempt was again set to start at 8am so, having learned my lesson from the first, I got there at about 10 past. The line that greeted me though stretched so far around Lambeau Field that I didn’t even bother getting out of the car. I did two laps to make sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me, contemplated what an 8am start time actually meant and went home hoping that another chance would come.
Thankfully, despite the fact that I couldn’t have been any luckier that we still had a home game this deep in the season, my final opportunity came today. There was another chance before the Pep Rally but with Kelly being in Vegas for the latter part of the week I’m not counting that as a miss.
This morning, having learned from both previous attempts and heeding the advice of all I had spoken to, I arrived at 8am for a 10am start. The line was still long but I joined it anyway. After an hour or so, wondering whether I had just wasted a good part of my morning, an official walked by counting us in line. I was somewhere around 240. Excited, even though my insulated cup of hot chocolate was but a distant memory, I began to smile with the thought that in just 60 minutes I’d be inside, shovelling snow at historic Lambeau Field. Not for a good old regular season game though, it would be for the 2008 NFC Championship Game. How cool is that?
The attitude amongst all once we realised we were in the top 300 changed dramatically. Knowing that we (pictured above) were in line for a reason opened everybody up and before we knew it there were 5 of us deep in conversation, talking Packers, Seahawks, Giants and Patriots. Oh, Tony Romo and Terrell Owens crying after their loss on Sunday received good coverage aswell.
As 10am rolled around the line went from not having moved at all in 2 hours to flowing nicely, around the corner, into the Mills Fleet Farm gate. There we filled out our details card and received our shovel for the day. It felt like the good old days, straight out of school. Back then, I helped a mates Dad who was a builder on some of his sites. I, with the rest of the kids there my age literally turned up to the site, waited for our instructions then got to it.
Proud as punch that I had made it this far I practically skipped to the section that we had been sent, unzipped my jacket a little and got to work. After 5 minutes I was ready to snap a few pics, thank them for their time and make my way back out of the stadium. Funny thing is though, once I was inside working, I didn’t want to stop. I felt like, as a fan, it was my duty to clear as much snow as humanly possible. It was like I owed it to them for all of the good times I had had there over the last 4 months.
The shovelling out of Lambeau Field is such a time honoured tradition. I really did feel like one of the lucky ones this morning. Sure I was cold and sweating at the same time but like I’ve said before, this is what being in Green Bay is all about. If you live here and you haven’t done it you should. If you’ve never been here before but find yourself in town when the call to fans is made then you should do it too.
Seeing the other 300 people or so all working toward a common goal, most with their Packers gear on was something else. There was our group on one side of the field and a second group on the other. Slowly, via a taped together ramp of what looked like aluminium fence palings, the snow would disappear from the stands and onto the field. The tractor there would pick it up and dump it into a waiting truck whilst we the shoveler’s would hoist our ramps above our heads and move it another two blocks over, just to start it all over again.
As the ramps kept moving over I looked back at where we had been. The snow was gone and the stadium clearing. Our Packers, the greatest team in the history of the game had their home field back again. Most importantly though, the fans that keep the spirit of this field alive will have somewhere clean to sit as they cheer them on. It was a very rewarding morning.
The camaraderie, the feeling of belonging, the fact that you know you are clearing the seat of another fan as somebody else clears the seat you’ll sit on is priceless. I can’t put it into words any other way. I was proud to do my bit while I was there and thankful for the opportunity to do so.
As for the rest of the day, I did an interview with WTMJ of Milwaukee at the stadium before I left and then Kelly and I sat down with Meg from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in the afternoon.
Having been gone for most of the morning and leaving Kel with the kids, we swapped roles so that she could get out with Tari for a bite to eat and a little quite time herself. As our crazy little kids went off to sleep, I jumped back online knowing full there was still a ton of work to be done.
Comments
Fri 18th Jan 08
at 09:10pm
good luck to you. very good story, sounds like something i would do sometime. for the game this weekend, buy those little warmer pads that they sell at farm and fleet, one for each glove and boot. also wear a scarf and a extra hat. this should be a fun weekend, go pack go!
Sat 19th Jan 08
at 12:06am
Hey Wayne,
Not everybody can say they worked at Lambeau for a day!!
Sat 19th Jan 08
at 12:22am
Hi Wayne,
This is awesome!! Your whole story is incredible. You will be telling this story to your grandkids, and they in turn will tell it to their grandkids. If the Packers go on to the Super Bowl and win, then I think you need to stay right here in Wisconsin, you have been their good luck charm. Have a great time at the game and stay warm!!
Sat 19th Jan 08
at 12:28am
Hi Wayne,
I may be making a move soon to Wisconsin (Milwaukee) and I was checking out the paper when I saw your story. I have a friend from high school who lives in Australia (I emailed the story to him). There’s nothing like working in the stadium, no matter what the job. I used to work at Penn State games. It was great, once we had kickoff I was a fan like everyone else. Good luck to you and lets hope the Pack takes the Giants out.
Sat 19th Jan 08
at 12:39am
Hey Wayne,
I saw your story on JSOnline.com this morning. I haven’t seen a copy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel yet, but if you are collecting stuff like that you should go out and buy a copy.
Sat 19th Jan 08
at 01:50am
FANTASTIC!! Heard about you from some Packer fans at work and thought I’d check out the website. Quite the move from down under, but you already seem like one of the family.
Noticed a familiar face in Meg from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who is also a Badger fan (having been in the U of Wisconsin Marching Band a few years ago with me and many others). Hope to see you at the game this weekend!
Sat 19th Jan 08
at 02:58am
you are on the front page of http://www.jsonline.com w/ a picture of you shoveling!!! way to go!
Sat 19th Jan 08
at 03:32am
Wow, cool story. Australians move to Green Bay to watch America’s team, the Packers. Man, that’s living the dream. Just goes to show if you want something bad enough, you can get it. My hat’s off to you. Go Pack !
Sat 19th Jan 08
at 04:53am
I cleared snow prior to Bengal game in 1995.
Still have shovel. At that time you were asked to bring your own.
Still have it in my garage. Got some strange looks at Tampa Airport. I went on from Green Bay to see Sunday night game.
Andy Topliff
Derby
England
Sat 19th Jan 08
at 05:13am
Heard you on FM 106.1 (Milwaukee) this morning. Good interview. Sounds like you have plenty of pictures. Saw your picture in the Journal Sentinel & read your story. How cool is that with all the interviews etc. Did you ever imagine what your journey would lead to ?
Sat 19th Jan 08
at 07:23am
I just have to say, I “believed” I was a Packer fan, but this man is absolutely extreme! I grew up in the GB and thought that would be crazy to clear snow from the stadium. Guess you have to move x amount of miles to appreciate it like that. I love the Pack, but hate the freezing cold ... especially the extreme cold!
Sat 19th Jan 08
at 07:30am
I just read the article about you actually on the Duluth News-Tribune web site. Wow, that’s a long way to travel to join the Cheesehead Nation. Bless your heart! You’re living a dream I have--except mine involves soccer and Scotland.
Buy wool or cotton long johns if you don’t already have them. Bundle up--it will be colder than cold, even for us native Cheeseheads!
Sat 19th Jan 08
at 08:09am
Saw the first comment about buying those handwarmers for the game on Sunday, but you won’t have to because Fleet Farm donated enough for all the fans!! Stay warm and keep on being such an awesome fan, brings tears to my eyes 
Sat 19th Jan 08
at 11:05am
Good luck with the book you will be writting when this is all done.You and your family will have one of the best Packer stories ever.
Sat 19th Jan 08
at 11:50am
Snowmobile pants or suit is great for these cold cold games. I’m a veteran of Wisconsin Badger games 1966-2004 - and they are the best. You’re absolutely right - there is no place better to watch a game than in Wisconsin. Hope you and your family have enjoyed yourselves to the utmost.
Sat 19th Jan 08
at 01:56pm
I just want to say That YOU ARE AMAZING
I live in cancun mexico so probably you know that the weather here is always over 80 degrees this year I have the chance to live one of my dreams that was watch the Packers play live, I visit some very good friends fom st. louis missouri and I attend the GB vs Rams game but this that you are doing is something that will inspire a lot of people I just told my kids that dreams can come true if you believe in yourself, Hope that you can be at the Super Bowl and I will be remember yu on sunday
Sat 19th Jan 08
at 02:38pm
Reminds me of the “96 game I attended with my 3 sons from Co. I was living in Charlotte. We picked up Pizza boxes the night before so we had a buffer between our boots and the cement.
We could not get into the indoor tailgate at 9 am, so we tailgated in a tent.
As gametime neared I was invited into a strangers motel close to the stadium to change into my game layers. All the motel’s room doors were open, despite a temp of 5 degrees.
We hustled into the stadium and I had my gloves off for most of the first quarter as I was hot from the brisk walkup to row 57 and the excitement.
GREAT EXPERIENCE!
NO ONE LEFT FOR MINUTES AFTER THE WIN AND THE TROPHY PRESENTATION. WE ALL STAYED AND CHEERED AND ENJOYED A SPECIAL MOMENT.
Sat 19th Jan 08
at 04:34pm
Wayne, no matter what happens on Sunday, you sure picked a great year. I hope we win it all, and that you have hapy memories of it for all your days.
Sat 19th Jan 08
at 09:24pm
Truism, Christopher, but nevertheless, GO PACK!!!
Sun 20th Jan 08
at 01:20am
I saw you on the Donald Driver show a few weeks ago and decided to check out your website. I am so happy for you. I really can’t believe that you met Brett Favre AND you get to see the Packers play for the NFC championship in Lambeau. Dreams do come true. What an amazing story. Thank you for sharing it with us all.
Sun 20th Jan 08
at 02:26pm
Wanted to post this poem I received today. You may have seen this already, but just had to share!
Go Pack Go!!!
Our Favre,
Who art in Lambeau,
Hallowed be thine arm.
The bowl will come,
It will be won.
In Phoenix as it is in Lambeau
Give us this day,
Our weekly win.
And many touchdown passes,
while others are stopped who pass against us.
Lead us not into frustration
But deliver us to the valley of the sun.
For thine is the MVP, the best of the NFC,
and the glory of the Cheese heads,
now and forever.
AMEN