Joshua Schamberger, President Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention
& Visitors Bureau 319-337-6592 or Joshua@ThinkIowaCity.com Geoff Fruin, City Manager City of Iowa City 319-356-5013 or Geoff-Fruin@Iowa-City.org Nancy Bird, Executive Director Iowa City Downtown District 319-354-0863 or Nancy@DowntownIowaCity.com Peter Matthes, Vice President for
External Relations University of Iowa 319-335-3549 or Peter-Matthes@uiowa.edu
Iowa City RAGBRAI announces theme, entertainment venue, and charity beneficiary
Thousands of RAGBRAI riders and their support crews will Book it to Iowa City on Friday, July 27, 2018, for an overnight stop.
The theme, Book it to Iowa City, represents Iowa City’s designation as a
UNESCO City of Literature, and the logo depicts the University of Iowa’s Herky
mascot riding a bicycle with the Old Capitol in the background — all important
features of the community.
“Iowa City is as
proud of our educational and literary heritage as we are of Herky and the
Hawkeyes,” said Josh Schamberger, president of the Iowa City/Coralville Area
Convention and Visitors Bureau and executive committee member. “We
couldn’t be more excited to welcome riders and writers from across the country
and around the world to the City of Literature for RAGBRAI XLVI.”
Iowa City will be an overnight stop for RAGBRAI on Friday, July 27.
RAGBRAI is the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, which this
year will begin in Onawa on July 21 and end in Davenport on July 28. The annual
event draws about 12,000 cyclists from around the world. Iowa City last hosted
RAGBRAI in 1976.
The community will
see a significant spending boost during the overnight stop, Schamberger said.
“An estimated
$1.2 million in direct spending was made locally when RAGBRAI stopped in
Coralville in 2015,” Schamberger said. “This will be a big day for hundreds of
local businesses that will cater to the riders and those who come to Iowa City
to take part in the festivities.”
Downtown Iowa
City will be the hub of entertainment in block-party style on July 27, said
Nancy Bird, executive director of the Downtown Association and member of the
executive committee.
“RAGBRAI riders
should expect a truly authentic Iowa City cultural and culinary experience,”
Bird said. “Not only is Iowa City home to the Hawkeyes, but also to more than
100 restaurants and bars that will provide exceptional local flavor and what we
hope will be the best experience in RAGBRAI history.”
The headline act
will be announced soon, Bird said.
In addition, the United Way of Johnson and Washington Counties has been
selected as the recipient of proceeds generated during the overnight stay. During
RAGBRAI’s overnight stop in Coralville in 2015, more than $10,000 was donated
to the Community Foundation of Johnson County’s Coralville Community Fund and
the Iowa City Community School District.
“Because of the
United Way’s community impact and its direct role in helping recruit and manage
volunteers for RAGBRAI, we are very pleased to announce that all proceeds from
Iowa City’s overnight stop will be donated to the United Way of Johnson and
Washington Counties,” said Geoff Fruin, Iowa City’s city manager and member of
the executive committee. “Johnson County is fortunate to have such a strong
network of social service agencies, and the United Way is a big reason why many
of our nonprofit agencies are able to help so many people in our community.”
To volunteer to help with the overnight stop, sign up to provide housing
or camping space to riders, purchase an official T-shirt, or inquire about a
sponsorship, go to www.iowacityragbrai.com.
