Hundreds of volunteers needed to host RAGBRAI in Mt. Pleasant

MT. PLEASANT — With RAGBRAI festivities for Mt. Pleasant just over three weeks away, the committee in charge of all things RAGBRAI in town will host a volunteer meeting Wednesday, July 10 at the Union Block Building on the third floor.

Beginning at 5:30 p.m., those interested in volunteering will learn more about the opportunities available and really pin down exactly how they can lend a helping hand to make RAGBRAI riders, support teams, and visitors feel welcome as they pedal into Mt. Pleasant and make themselves at home.

According to Melinda Huisinga, who is heading up volunteers for the event, RAGBRAI Mt. Pleasant will need approximately 400 volunteers to pull off hosting over 25,000 visitors to town. Volunteers will work in shifts in a variety of roles at Central Park, the former Iowa Wesleyan University campus, and the Old Threshers grounds.

“We welcome any volunteers for any time you have available that day,” Huisinga said.

According to Main Street Director Lisa Oetken, some of these volunteers’ positions will include greeting riders as they come into town and leave town, helping at the beverage garden, and giving information.

In addition to actually volunteering the day of, the Mt. Pleasant RAGBRAI Committee encourages residents to help make Mt. Pleasant welcoming by cleaning up and decorating their yards for the occasion.

“Our theme is Mt. Pleasant, Make Yourself At Home,” Oetken said in a recent informational meeting. “We are going to be decorating the whole downtown and the whole town because we know even though they’re going to be on that route, they’re going to be hitting every street of this town as they stay in people’s yards, homes, parks, and all over the place.”

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According to Oetken, the theme encourages welcoming Americana-type décor. These decorations will begin with the Optimist Club setting up flags. Colorful Adirondack-type chairs will be located throughout downtown along with multiple photo ops. Businesses are encouraged to put out red, white, and blue bunting and flags.

“We just want people to kind of embrace it and welcome people no different from if they were coming to your house or having a family reunion,” Oetken said.

Oetken encourages residents to clean up their lawns and decorate alongside the rest of the town. With the Americana theme, she even encourages residents to simply leave up their Fourth of July decorations for the whole month to embrace the welcoming feel for RAGBRAI.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com