NORTH BEND — Democrats, Republicans, Independents. They all stood together in line and then together inside North Bend Middle School for what many considered a once in a lifetime opportunity to see a former U.S. president.

Among them, North Bend Democrat Sherrill Lorenzo, 47, found herself quickly overwhelmed by emotion when Bill Clinton, the 42nd U.S. president, stepped up to the lectern to frenzied cheers by the jostling crowd. Dozens and dozens of the 2,072 people held up cellphone cameras to capture the instant.

“It was one of those wow moments, y’know? You don’t get a lot of those,” Lorenzo said, as she and her husband, Ross Lorenzo, walked out of the North Bend Middle School gymnasium. “My eyes welled up and my heart felt full.

“It was the sense of the moment and (I was) witnessing something important.”

Clinton was in town Friday night to campaign for Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., in her bid for the Democratic nomination and a seat in the Oval Office.

Already staunch supporters of the Clintons, the Lorenzos left while Clinton continued to tout the candidate’s proposed policies. The North Bend residents said his speech didn’t sway their vote. There was no need.

“I didn’t hear anything here that would change my mind on that account,” Ross Lorenzo said, recalling the wide range of topics that impact Coos County from timber payments and health care to salmon and employment.

His wife agreed.

“I don’t think it strengthened my resolve. I think it’s wonderful that a candidate’s representative would come to such a small community and give validity to the circumstances of rural America,” she said. “If you watch the news, it’s not like he said anything new. ... But it’s still exciting to hear it firsthand.”

Prior to Clinton’s arrival, the huge crowd, which filtered into bleachers and the floor of the gym, spent nearly an hour chatting, greeting friends and finding the best spot possible to see the president. Dignitaries also attended including Sen. Joanne Verger, D-Coos Bay; North Bend Mayor Rick Wetherell; Coos Bay Mayor Jeff McKeown; Bandon Mayor Mary Schamehorn; North Bend City Administrator Jan Willis; North Bend School District Superintendent BJ Hollensteiner; and North Bend School Board Chairwoman Karen Helland.

Helland, who sat near the front of the gym during Clinton’s speech, said she thought the undertaking was incredible.

“I think it’s really an exciting day for the citizens of the South Coast and the citizens of North Bend. And whether you are a Democrat (or) Republican, having an ex-president coming to your community is such a wonderful experience for all these kids.

“It makes it very real to the students.”

During the hour-long wait inside the gym, a group of teenagers sat down in the middle of the floor surrounded by the crowd. An elderly man sat down with them and they cheered him on. They took pictures of each other. Later, the man entertained them and others in the crowd by playing air guitar, jamming to the music played on the sound system.

“This is probably the hottest dance club in town tonight,” said Sam Lynass, a North Bend High School sophomore.

And people did dance. And cheer, and shout their approval when Clinton touched on topics that hit close to home.

Friends Lena Wilke and Carolyn Kidd, who spent three and a half hours in line to be the first people in the doors of the school, are on different sides of the political fence. But they did agree with some of Clinton’s proposals, including implementing universal health care. Before the two women were able to enter the school at 6:40 p.m., a line of more than 900 stretched along several blocks of E Street, almost reaching Ohio Street.

“I’ve been praying for it for many years,” Wilke said.

The 75-year-old Coos Bay resident explained that the only way she was able to pay for her husband’s medical bills was by handing her home over to the state of Oregon.

“Universal health (care) will help prevent them putting liens against our houses because we have illness,” Wilke said.

Kidd, 65, said her own husband had died and she owes $9,000 in medical bills.

“I think we need universal,” she said.

The North Bend resident said it was just one of many concerns she had for the future of the country. She said if she’d had the chance to ask Hillary Clinton a question, it would deal with the cost of living.

“I want to ask, if she got in, what would she feel about putting a freeze on gasoline, food and rent — a ceiling on all these prices. They are charging so much to live and none of us are getting our wages upped,” Kidd said.

Not everything about the night was hard politics for the two women. Kidd, who attended the event with her four grandchildren, said she wanted the children to see the former president.

“I think bringing grandchildren or children to something like this might make them want to vote later,” she said, adding she saw Dwight. D. Eisenhower when she was 10 in St. Louis. “That was the most awesome thing I’ve ever seen. I think that’s what these kids are going to think.”

After Clinton left the building and the crowd pushed its way out of the gym, Mary-Margaret Stockert, a teacher at Madison Elementary School, said she was impressed that a politician of Bill Clinton’s stature had come to North Bend.

“My ideal for American democracy is not to have slick commercials, but to have face-to-face contact with the candidates and ideally, they’d come more often,” Stockert said, adding she loved seeing children at the event.

North Bend Middle School sixth-grader Amanda Lea was one of those kids and was thrilled to come.

“I wanted to see Bill Clinton because I’m a big fan. He is just one of my favorite presidents,” Amanda said. She loves Hillary Clinton, too.

“She’d be our first female president and she’s just awesome.”

— Entertainment Editor Chip Dombrowski contributed to this story