RAGBRAI® in Allamakee County

Waukon RAGBRAI seeking volunteers to host riders

The Waukon RAGBRAI Housing Committee is seeking area individuals who are willing to open up their homes, yards or driveways to riders or support crews for RAGBRAI's overnight visit to Waukon July 28 of this year. Local RAGBRAI leaders say the RAGBRAI ride is "very much a camping event," where those seeking a host site are merely looking for a place to pitch a tent on someone's property. "They are looking for a place to sleep and a place to fill their water bottles, and that's about it," shared members of the Waukon RAGBRAI Housing Committee. "It's up to each host whether they want to open up their homes for anything more, like a bathroom, a shower or a bed or floor to sleep on. And there will be plenty of food downtown for them to enjoy, so feeding them is certainly not necessary."

Those interested in providing such hospitality for that July 28 overnight stay are invited to fi ll out the form available at www.ragbraiwaukon.com under the "Get Involved" tab at the top of that home page and then under the "Housing" link on that drop down menu. A click on the PDF or "Want to Become A Host?" link will take interested individuals to the form they can fi ll out with their available selection of hosting options. The completed form can then be saved and emailed to ragbraihousingwaukon2017@gmail.com or printed and dropped off at Main Feature Theater on Main Street in Waukon daily during business hours of 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Host applications are being accepted until July 15. Those with further questions can send them to that ragbraihousingwaukon2017@gmail.com email address.

Be a part of the excitement! Waukon RAGBRAI invites everyone to join the growing list of volunteers needed for July 28 community event

Waukon RAGBRAI officials are estimating that it will take more than 500 volunteers to make Waukon's RAGBRAI experience a success when more than 15,000 bicycle riders and support staff visit the community as part of the annual ride July 28. Local residents and others who have an interest are encouraged to be a part of all the action by volunteering for any part of the event July 27-29. Volunteers can choose the times they want to help and the area they want to help in. All ages of volunteers are welcome. Typical shifts are three hours in length and signing up for multiple shifts is certainly acceptable. All volunteers receive a free t-shirt if they sign up by July 11. There will also be a volunteer orientation session July 18.

Those who may be a little shy about volunteering or just curious to know if someone they know is also volunteering can view an updated list of volunteers who have already committed to be an ambassador for RAGBRAI Waukon in whatever way they see fi t. That list of current volunteers can be found by clicking on the link located at the bottom of the page at www.ragbraiwaukon.com/volunteers. Those who don't see a neighbor, friend or acquaintance on the list are invited to encourage them to volunteer together.

While at that website location, click either on the link to fi ll out and submit the volunteer form online or the link to open a PDF to print off, fi ll out and submit a form to either the NICC Waukon Center, 1220 Third Avenue NW, Waukon, IA 52172 or Farmers & Merchants Savings Bank, 201 West Main Street, P.O. Box 9, Waukon, IA 52172. Couples or friends who would like to work together should fi ll out one form with both names on the same form. Anyone who has any physical limitations should also note that on the volunteer form. To have any questions answered about volunteering for the RAGBRAI Waukon event, email waukonragbraivolunteers@gmail.com.

Waukon RAGBRAI honoring the community’s best with “Hometown Heroes,” “Waukon Proud” decor

Local residents asked to submit photos, information to show their pride; Game boards also being sought

The Waukon RAGBRAI Committee is asking local residents to share their pride in an effort to decorate the Waukon community for the anticipated arrival of RAGBRAI in just a little over a month, July 28. Two separate pride and recognition efforts - Hometown
Heroes and Waukon Proud - are being pursued for the same purpose, to showcase the best of what the Waukon community has produced and the pride its residents has in those individuals. Hometown Heroes will feature recognition of current and past military
service men and women who come from the Waukon area. Waukon Proud will feature recognition of Waukon natives who have made significant contributions or reached high achievement levels in their career field or other area of expertise on a statewide, national or global scale. In either case, local residents are being asked to submit either a 4”x6” or 5”x7” photo of the individual they wish to have recognized, along with a summary of three to four sentences describing the accomplishments of the individual being honored. Those submissions can be made to the Waukon Chamber of Commerce offi ce either in person, at 101 West Main Street in Waukon, or by email, at waukoncc@mchsi.com. Each submitted photo and write-up will be pasted on a game board to coincide with the overall theme of the RAGBRAI celebration in Waukon.

Anyone who has game boards of any kind (for example, Monopoly, Sorry, Candyland, etc.) they no longer wish to keep is also asked to drop them off at the Waukon Chamber of Commerce office for use in this and other decorating purposes.