Every day, a mountain of packages — big, heavy packages filled with saddles and flagpoles and rugs — get delivered to the vendors’ booths at the National Western Stock Show.
The muscle behind it? Carl and Betty Krei fels, ages 72 and 71, respectively.
The two volunteers would gladly train their replacements, but “people work with us a day, and they don’t come back,” Carl Kreifels said, after slinging a 50-pound box above the sideboard of his golf cart.
Each day, they are on the job at 7:30 a.m. to unload and log packages from every major shipping company. During the two-week show, they will handle more than 2,000 packages filled with all varieties of trade-show products.
The Kreifels aren’t ones to quit. They have been stock show volunteers for 18 years, members of the Rolling Wheels Square Dance Club for 21 years, the Buffalo Bill Saddle Club for 30 years, the Humdingers hiking club for 20 and members of the Holy Shepherd Lutheran Church for 42.
“Love, loyalty and learning — we’ve always lived by that code,” Betty said.
That code started July 13, 1957, a week before Carl was to leave to join the Army. In Denver’s City Park, he proposed along a three-sided fountain. “Love” was on one side, “loyalty” on a second and “learning” on a third.
At the stock show, the code has only been tested once, in 2004, when the cart ran over Betty.
But it was partly Betty’s fault, Carl says with a smile. She’s the one who wanted to rush the deliveries, so he had stacked too many packages too high. When an 80-pound box fell off the top and down on the accelerator, Betty found herself in the path of the runaway cart.
As Betty lay waiting for medical help, her husband bent over her. “Honey, I’ll be back in a little bit. I’m going to go deliver these packages.”
They thought about quitting but decided against it once Betty mended. “It’s just one of those things,” she said. “It was a freak accident.”
David Webster, who has four booths at the show, has received countless deliveries from the Kreifels. Their upbeat personalities lift his spirit, he said. “It’s not just getting stuff delivered,” he said. “They’re here to help you in any way.”
Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com
Rounding up volunteers
Carl and Betty Kreifels are among more than 500 volunteers who staff the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo every year. Last year, volunteers contributed more than 29,000 hours of assistance to the nonprofit show’s small staff. They staff information booths, guide tours, assist competitors in the barns and yards, and entertain children. While it’s too late to help out this year, the volunteer office is taking names for 2009. Stock show visitors can pick up an application at the volunteer center above the southeast ticket office in the National Western Complex’s Hall of Education. Those interested also can send their name, address and phone number to National Western Stock Show, ATTN: Volunteer Department, 4655 Humboldt St., Denver, CO 80216, or e-mail information to volunteer@nationalwestern.com.
