RAGBRAI hosts first Sigourney meeting

            Representatives from RAGBRAI journeyed down to Sigourney on Friday, Feb. 9 to hold their first of many meetings with community leadership and to help organize the overnight stay in town on July 26.

            RAGBRAI Director T.J. Juskiewicz and Assistant Director Scott Garner were greeted by city employees, staff from The News-Review and potential board/committee volunteers to learn more about the 46^th annul bike ride across Iowa, the first overnight stay in Sigourney since 1995.

            “95 percent of the people that will be in this town that night have never been to Sigourney,” Juskiewicz said. “This is a great opportunity for Sigourney to show these 20,000 people coming here what you are all about.”

            Juskiewicz spoke about how Leon, a town smaller than Sigourney, recently hosted an overnight RAGBRAI stay successfully and similar results could be achieved for Keokuk County’s seat. In order to do so, Sigourney will set up an Advisory Board for oversight, an Executive Board with each chair directing efforts of several individual sub-committees to oversee specific areas (entertainment, law enforcement, etc). Meetings with RAGBRAI will take place every other week to help coordinate efforts.

            “We see planning as a marathon, not a sprint,” Juskiewicz said. “If you go to fast, you’ll miss important details along the way.”

            Specific routes for RAGBRAI this year will be announced in mid-March and will include routes through other towns in Keokuk County. Committees and boards will be set up in the comings weeks.