While many DeKalb residents’ spirits were likely dampened by the rain this past weekend, community spirit reached a high point.

Thirty-two members of the DeKalb and Sycamore communities joined forces on Sunday morning at the DeKalb Water Department, 1216 Market Street, to prepare sandbags for area flood victims.

While it turned out the flooding wasn’t as bad as first expected, city workers still greatly appreciated the volunteer turnout.

“It’s a great illustration of community spirit,” said Rick Monas, director of Public Works in DeKalb. “It’s students and residents coming together for a common cause in a time of need. We appreciate everything these volunteers did for us.”

He said for about four hours Sunday, volunteers and city workers filled about 3,000 to 4,000 sandbags. Residents who needed the bags could come to the Water Department to pick them up.

DeKalb got the word out about the sandbagging effort on local radio stations, which is how DeKalb residents Jim and Kathy Maciorowski found out. When they arrived armed with shovels, Jim Maciorowski was moved by what he saw.

“What impressed me was 10 of the guys that showed up were from a fraternity,” he said. “I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

He described how he shoveled the sand while his wife held the bags, which were then handed off to a city worker.

DeKalb residents Bob and Robin Conrad went to the Water Department to get some sandbags for themselves. After they saw that there weren’t many volunteers there yet, they dropped off their bags at home and went right back to the Water Department to help.

“We just kept on filling ‘em until they told us not to anymore,” Bob Conrad said.

There are about 2,500 sandbags left over, which are being saved but hopefully won’t ever be needed, Monas said. Last year’s flood was much worse than this year’s, he said, when 15,000 bags were used.