A Heart of Steel
For you geography buffs, you’ll know that Pittsburgh lies within the Keystone State. Perhaps coincidental, perhaps not; Steel City Ruck Club is the keystone, the heart, of the goodwerks community. Since day one, SCRC has been instrumental in the growth and success of goodwerks. For a long period of time after officially starting, the Steel City crew made up for at least 30% of sales, allowing time and space to gain some traction. At the helm is the Boogie Bag Queen herself, goodwerks official ambassador, Caitlin Eiben. The Boogie Queen has spent dozens, nay, hundreds of hours planning and preparing for this past weekend’s event: The Whiskey Rebellion Double Basic and Scavenger.
Nearly 100 GRT’s (folks that have completed GORUCK events) and cadre (folks that lead the events) came out to share in a weekend of “fun.” Meeting at the Oliver Miller Homestead, the varied collection of weirdos (including myself) participated in more than 15 hours of an educational, thoroughly fun, certainly grueling, team-based endurance event.
You may be curious as to why I’m writing about this. Why is this something that is appearing on the goodwerks blog?
Allow me to enlighten you:
Community.
Community is powerful. Community is enabling. Community allows us, as individuals, to serve a purpose, to accomplish goals larger than we are capable of achieving on our own. goodwerks has never been just a business - it has always been about community. Not only has goodwerks strived to serve a community by creating quality products, but by supporting other communities through raffles, donations, and awareness. Within the goodwerks’ heart of hearts, lies the same drive, passion, and determination as in the heart of the rucking community. To share the load, sacrifice for others, to do what’s necessary for the team - the community - to succeed.
Without community, goodwerks wouldn’t be here. Period. Without a strong leader like The Boogie Bag Queen and her attention to detail, creativity, and diligence, we wouldn’t have been able to raise $2,320 for the Oliver Miller Homestead via your donations. In forty years, the all-volunteer organization has never received such a large donation. Y’all (yinz) should be proud of yourselves for making such a positive and profound impact on a historic, community resource.
It’s been more than 8 years since I’ve done a “proper” event. This past weekend, as it was years ago, I was surrounded by community and teammates. However, the biggest difference this time ‘round, was that I was surrounded by the Boogie Bag Bunch. The folks that make me genuinely proud to do what I do. The folks that push their gear to its extent, that try to break it on the weekends of pain and pleasure.
Boogie Bags are built for community.
BOogie Bags are built for endurance.
Boogie Bags are built for those with steadfast perseverance.
Boogie Bags are built for those that sacrifice for others. Those with hearts of steel.
[A big “thank you” goes out to Eric Perry for providing the photos from the weekend. please be sure to follow him on instagram at @steel.city.shadow]