Grossed out for a good cause

Zak Schnack knows how to earn $1,500 the hard way.

The Hartley man just wrapped up a fundraising campaign fed by food challenges broadcast on his YouTube channel, Iowa Retro Gamer Dad. He admits it was pretty gross at times, but it was all for a good cause.

The money generated by his gastronomical feats helped buy toys for local families in need this Christmas.

"It was really fun to do," said Schnack. "Not only was it showing off my YouTube channel a bit, but it was cool to see that most of the money raised was local from my family and friends."

From eating a large pepperoni pizza in 10 minutes to downing expired Twinkies half a decade past their prime, Schnack definitely put in the work. Once his fundraiser concluded last month, he took the earnings to Walmart and cashed it all out on toys. The bounty was then donated to Upper Des Moines Opportunity (UMDO) in O'Brien County for distribution this Christmas.

Schnack's followers on Facebook and YouTube were the main contributors to his campaign. He set fundraising goals, and once they were completed, he attempted another challenge.

Schnack's most disturbing test came when he faced off against a can of surströmming. Considered a delicacy in Sweden, the fermented herring is salted just enough to prevent it from rotting. According to some accounts on the internet, a newly-opened can of surströmming has one of the most putrid food smells in the world.

Schnack agreed with that assessment. He could only stomach two bites before it came back up.

"The taste wasn't as bad as the smell, but the smell is what gets you," he said. "It's hard to describe. It was like somebody ate a bunch of tuna and puked it back up. I had to do it outside because it stinks so bad and it just sits there and lingers."

Schnack wasn't sure how much his bout with surströmming raised, but two of his cousins paid $100 each to see him suffer. Schnack's wife, Janelle, even twisted his arm a bit more once he swallowed the first two bites.

"I went inside and she asked if I threw up and told her no. She said, 'Well I think everybody is kind of paying to see you throw up,' " Schnack recalled. "So I went back out there, took another bite and I couldn't swallow it. I was done. My eyes were glazed over and I was just done."

Schnack saved the can for his "trophy shelf," but it's still in the garage.

"My wife told me I can't bring it in the house," he said. "I tried to clean it with bleach and Dawn dish soap, but you can still smell it a little bit."

Schnack's charitable streak stems from his workplace, Valero Renewables in Hartley. Each holiday season the company partners with UMDO to adopt families in need and provide Christmas gifts. Schnack wondered if he could do even more, so he decided to branch out on his own fundraising venture.

"I wanted to keep it local," he said. "It was becoming Christmastime, and I know there's families around here dealing with unemployment."

Schnack's motivations are a bit personal, too. Janelle was a single mother of two when she and Zak started dating, so the couple knows how hard the holidays can be on some families.

"That was a big factor," he said. "Everyone's just trying to do the best they can, and I wanted to try to make it a little easier on them."

Schnack set a goal of $200 during his inaugural fundraiser last year and ended up raising $500. He upped the ante to $300 this time around and was able to blow the previous total out of the water.

"Within a day or so, we had not only met that goal but we broke last year's total," he said. "We were within $500 in a few days, so I had to start coming up with more challenges to do."

The Schnacks took two carts through Walmart after Thanksgiving and rounded up their toy haul. The additional cargo made the drive home rather precarious.

"I didn't want to hit the brakes because I was afraid something might hit me in the back of the head," Schnack said. "It was almost to the point where we were going to have to use my truck to bring stuff in, too."

They cherry on top came when the Schnacks brought the load to UMDO's office in Primghar.

"I backed up to the building and opened the door, and the director was like, 'Oh wow! All of this?' I said, 'Yep. All of it,' " Schnack recalled. "Last year they said we helped around 25 families on $500, so this year is obviously a lot more."

Schnack plans to keep doing his food challenge fundraiser every year. He's even contemplating doing another one for a different cause.

"I'm not quite sure what I'll do next. Maybe I'll focus on super spicy foods, because I have a pretty high spicy tolerance," he said. "I had a lot of fun doing it and I'm glad I've been able to help out."