Don’t look now, but RAGBRAI XLIII begins in 32 days.
I don’t know how it is sneaking up so quickly, or if everyone on Team MCSA is ready, but we’re going to be in Sioux City on July 18, when Huey Lewis & the News hit the stage. The ride will begin the next day and will end seven days and 462 miles later in Davenport, Iowa.
Team MCSA is a group of 25 bicyclists and a three-person support crew that will go on RAGBRAI to raise awareness for the homeless, tell stories about MCSA and raise money for the nonprofit organization that runs the homeless and domestic violence shelters in Muscatine, Iowa, along with providing affordable long-term housing for single men and a homeless prevention program for families on the verge of losing their housing. It’s where I work as the deputy director.
Campsites have been found for Team MCSA in all of the RAGBRAI overnight towns. Transportation arrangements have been made. Jerseys have been ordered. All that is left to do is get in enough miles on our bikes to be ready when the ride begins. Because of the weather and other commitments, riding this spring has been a challenge.
But Tuesday was a good RAGBRAI-type day. We rode about 15 early morning miles before work — far enough we would have made it to the Farm Boys Burrito stand for breakfast had we actually been on RAGBRAI. After work, we rode 25 miles, picking up some wings to go from Pete’s Tap for dinner.
If the weather holds, Janet and I have made plans for rides this weekend. But, as I write this morning, it’s raining again and more rain is predicted in the 10-day forecast. We’ll do what we can to get ready. We have to because we’re riding for an important cause. It costs about $1,500 a day to operate the emergency and transitional housing programs at MCSA. Team MCSA’s goal is to raise enough money to operate those programs for at least a week.
We would appreciate your help if you are a regular reader of this blog. If you like what you read here, please go to the Team MCSA website and make a donation via PayPal. Or send a check to: MCSA, c\o Chris Steinbach, 312 Iowa Ave., Muscatine IA 52761.
Thank you for reading. And thank you for supporting MCSA.
Brome Hill 