Carroll Mayor Mark Beardmore is encouraging residents to get involved in RAGBRAI preparations in any way they can as the countdown approaches the 80-day mark. According to Beardmore, it will take close to 1,000 volunteers, or about one-tenth of Carroll’s population, to help everything go smoothly when more than 20,000 people arrive for the community’s overnight stop on July 24.
This will be the third time Carroll has hosted RAGBRAI in the last three decades: 1994, 2011, and 2023. Beardmore says being the focal point for so many people presents a tremendous opportunity for the community.
However, Beardmore adds Monday and Tuesday will be a bit of a challenge for the many people who live and work in Carroll. Traffic on two major highways will be hampered, and almost every green space in town will be filled with tents, campers, and RVs. Beardmore says it is nothing the town cannot handle.
He says the Carroll RAGBRAI Committee has a great couple of days planned, and it is even better for those who get involved.
RAGBRAI is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The 500-mile route begins July 23 in Sioux City and ends July 29 in Davenport, with overnight stops in Storm Lake, Carroll, Ames, Des Moines, Tama-Toledo, and Coralville. Stay in touch with local planning at www.CarrollRAGBRAI.com and the Carroll RAGBRAI Facebook page.
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https://www.facebook.com/carrollragbrai
