RAGBRAI Overnights in Storm Lake During Golden Anniversary
Beaver bicyclists are excited to return to Storm Lake as The Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa pedals from Sioux City to the Buena Vista County seat on July 23.
Storm Lake has been chosen as the first overnight community for RAGBRAI L, the 50th anniversary celebration of one of Iowa’s signature cultural and recreational events, The Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa.
And while much has yet to be determined when it comes to hosting upwards of 20,000 to 30,000 riders and guests that first day (July 23), please know that the BVU Alumni Association will have a tent and presence to welcome you back to Storm Lake.
“We’re so excited to be able to help welcome tens of thousands of people to Storm Lake as riders and their support groups celebrate the 50th anniversary of RAGBRAI. This gives all of us a chance to share our beautiful community, lake, and hospitality with people from around the world.”
Sarah Johnson, BVU Director of Alumni Engagement
“We’re so excited to be able to help welcome tens of thousands of people to Storm Lake as riders and their support groups celebrate the 50th anniversary of RAGBRAI,” says Sarah Johnson, BVU Director of Alumni Engagement. “This gives all of us a chance to share our beautiful community, lake, and hospitality with people from around the world.”
This marks the seventh time Storm Lake has served as an overnight community for RAGBRAI, an Iowa tradition that began when Des Moines Register staff members Donald Kaul and John Karras led a band of bicycle riders across the state from west to east in July 1973.
For 28 years, Buena Vista graduate Kevin Eekhoff has ridden on RAGBRAI. The former Beaver two-time All-Iowa Conference football center, a member of RAGBRAI’s Team Milkweed, has completed the journey on 15 occasions.
“Team Milkweed is looking forward to spending another night in Storm Lake,” says Eekhoff, who serves as Bank President at Northwest Bank in Le Mars. “Two of us on our team are more excited than the others as Attorney Randy Waagmeester and I graduated from BVU.”
Waagmeester, of Rock Rapids, is a 1975 graduate, while Eekhoff graduated in 1982.
“It is always nice to go back to our college roots and visit the campus,” Eekhoff continues. “Storm Lake has always done an outstanding job of hosting RAGBRAI and I am confident they will outdo themselves this year, on the 50th anniversary of RAGBRAI.”