FARGO (KFGO) – Mark J. Lindquist, an Air Force veteran, singer, and motivational speaker kicked off his latest campaign – Operation Sleep Out – at Broadway Square in downtown Fargo on Friday.
Lindquist will be sleeping outside every night through New Year’s as he raises awareness, money, and supplies for the people of Ukraine before he sets off to return to the country on Jan. 2.
During Operation Sleep Out, Lindquist plans to visit with folks around the area and give them a sense of what life is like for his friends in Ukraine and why he’s sleeping in sub-zero temperatures.
“We’re here because my friends are out in the Donbas in a trench and they can’t escape the cold,” Lindquist said. “We’re here because the Donbas is the same latitude as International Falls, Minnesota. We’re here because – if it’s 20 degrees over in Ukraine, that’s the worst kind of cold. If it’s above freezing during the day, below freezing at night – now it’s wet and muddy (and) you’re fighting for freedom in those kinds of conditions.”
Lindquist said he wants to remind people the war in Ukraine is still going on and there are people there who need help.
You can follow Lindquist’s journey on social media using #operationsleepout or at markjlindquist.com
