Letter to the Editor: Proud of this place he calls home

To the Editor:

Waukon and Allamakee County, I couldn’t be prouder to call this place home!

Early on in the process of RAGBRAI preparations, I heard someone say that “if a town could ruin RAGBRAI, it would be Waukon,” and I’m happy to say that nothing could have been further from the truth. For those 48 hours we worked as a community of kind, caring and compassionate people who fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, sheltered the homeless, welcomed the traveler and showed the state and each other what we are capable of.

Friends from outside the area repeatedly told me how great the community did and they found our warmth, hospitality and organizational skills to be unmatched. Those who came to our medical tent were grateful for the care they received and for the treats we fed them while we patched up their wounds or as we gave them IV fluids.

Bicyclists stopped along Elon to take pictures of the valleys and hills, and I heard time and time again that they couldn’t even believe that what they were looking at was real. We truly live in God’s country and we are blessed beyond words to live in such a beautiful place!

How great of all of you to step up these past few days/weeks/months to make something great happen for our community and the area. Now, how about we live the rest of our lives like we did for those two days when we opened our doors and hearts to the rest of the world!

Congratulations, Allamakee County, and let’s continue to share our gifts with our neighbors each and every day! Thank you all for your work and for all the love you shared!

Dr. Steve Perkins
Waukon