LITTLE ROCK — ST. PAUL, Minn. - Arkansas Republicans didn't know that they'd be working with their party's presidential nominee when they volunteered to assemble hurricane relief supply kits Wednesday afternoon.
But the Republican standard-bearer joined them on the assembly line in the basement of the Minneapolis Convention Center shortly after he arrived in the Twin Cities.
Together, they helped to pack hygiene products - deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrushes - and Target gift cards into plastic bags.
Republicans hoped to send 80,000 of the kits to Hurricane Gustav survivors.
McCain and the rest of the crew were serious about the task, Arkansas delegate Pat Harris said.
"We worked our fingers to the bone. ... There weren't any slackers in there," she said.
The Bryant schoolteacher said she was "extremely impressed with how organized things were and with the pleasant atmosphere. We laughed and joked and sang and cheered. Everyone was great."
None of the 15 Arkansans who volunteered realized that McCain was going to make an appearance. Fortunately, a few of them had brought cameras with them and could take pictures.
"He was about three tables up from where we were, about 20 feet [away]," said Republican Party of Arkansas spokesman Elizabeth Aymond. "He got right in there, said some kind words to the people on either side of him and then got to work."
Security crews sealed off the room as the McCains volunteered. The Arizona senator's campaign had urged delegates to donate money and time to help hurricane victims.
While they worked, volunteers sipped bottled water emblazoned with McCain's name and photo. As they left, they clutched commemorative red Target T-shirts.
The McCain encounter was one of the many celebrity encounters that Arkansas Republicans have reported this week.
Wednesday morning, former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott shook hands and swapped stories as he worked his way through the free breakfast buffet at the Embassy Suites hotel in Bloomington.
"How y'all doing? Good to see you all," Lott said, his face brightening as he realized he was dining with fellow Southerners. "Well, good to be at a hotel with folks who speak our language," he said with a smile.
After chatting with Lott, the Arkansans ticked off the names of other famous folks they had bumped into this week.
"I had my picture taken with former House Speaker Dennis Hastert," said delegate Susan Gessler of Fayetteville. "I got great pictures of the Liebermans and George Sr. and Barbara."
Another Fayetteville delegate, Jim Reavis, said he'd seen former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and had spotted NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon and evangelist Franklin Graham.
MaeZeatta Ramsey of Fayetteville said she'd met former Democratic presidential candidate Al Sharpton at a forum on education. "I shook his hand, and that's something I never expected to do," she said.
On the convention floor, actor Jon Voight worked the crowd. TV anchormen wander the halls, and titans of business and industry sit in the luxury boxes.
"It's exciting just to be a part of it," said Bobbi Dodge, an alternate delegate for Mike Huckabee from West Memphis.
Ann Schmuecker of Mountain Home is jotting down a list of all the bigwigs she's seen. It includes CBS anchorman Katie Couric and former Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole.
"He's aging," Schmuecker said, her smile vanishing, as she said it. "You think they're always going to look like the button you have with their picture on it, but they don't."
Front Section, Pages 5 on 09/04/2008