Thirty-five days from now Carroll will be the overnight host for thousands of participants in the 50th annual RAGBRAI — the Registers Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. Lynda Dukes Franey is on Carroll’s host committee and she says it’s crunch time.
“We all are trying really hard to make sure that when they roll out the next morning, they say: ‘That was great,'” Dukes Franey says.
Carroll has formed 15 different groups or committees to plan for hosting. “Safety first, we have a safety committee, ride right, of course we have health and medical,” Dukes Franey says. “…We have porta potties and shuttles. I mean, it’s not just the fun parts.”
Musical performances will start at 4 p.m. in Carroll, with a Midwest band called “The Pork Tornadoes” as the headliners that evening. Dukes Franey says there will be kid-themed activities throughout the day, too.
“The entertainment and things that we have in mind are not just for the riders, but for the community to enjoy as well,” she says.
The RAGBRAI committee in Carroll is seeking more volunteers to offer up their homes for RAGBRAI riders or their yards for participants who pitch their tents. Dukes Franey says some Carroll residents have started putting up decorations to welcome the RAGBRAI riders.
“We want the people who live in Carroll and Carroll County to have a pride about being the host, especially on this 50th year,” Dukes Franey says. “I think that it’s an honor that we were chosen to be on the route.”
RAGBRAI will start in Sioux City on July 23, 2023. Storm Lake is the first overnight stop, then it’s on to stops in Carroll, Ames, Des Moines, Tama-Toledo and Coralville before the final trek to Davenport.
(By Nathan Konz, KCIM, Carroll)