Letter to the Editor: Appreciation for RAGBRAI Waukon volunteers

To the Editor:

Friday, July 28 most of us were fortunate to experience the phenomenon of RAGBRAI. Some were part of the core group that took a leadership role on a planning committee, some hosted folks in their yards or homes, and close to 500 of you stepped forward to volunteer in some capacity Thursday, Friday and/or Saturday of RAGBRAI Waukon.

Add on to that all the good citizens of Allamakee County who helped their church or non-profit with dinners large enough to feed the RAGBRAI masses and we have nothing short of a total community effort to welcome and house these bicycle enthusiasts. I don’t think any of us thought that many people could ride into our lives and back out in just 24 hours.

We transformed the town to welcome them and within just a short few hours in the middle of Friday night the entertainment stages were dismantled and the streets were swept and cleaned of refuse that estimates of 30,000 people left behind after the previous night’s concert. In the early morning hours of Saturday many of you got up early to say “thanks for the ride - come again” as they rode on out.

From day one we said this event could not be a success without you, the volunteer. We thank you for answering the call. For stepping forward and showing your hometown pride and your welcoming nature. For providing guidance and answering questions from many first-time visitors. For serving a beverage or working the sanitation crew. For driving a shuttle or directing traffic on a street corner. For assisting the many campers in the campgrounds. For proudly wearing your volunteer t-shirt.

We think you are all phenomenal. You left an impression and hopefully some of these fine folks will stop in again to say “hello” and stay just a little while longer.

Mary Jo Goodman and Erica Nosbisch
RAGBRAI Waukon
Volunteer Co-Chairs