With RAGBRAI’s July 25 overnight stop in Creston approaching, the Creston RAGBRAI Committee is still searching for more volunteers.
In an effort to educate those who have already signed up as volunteers and to recruit new volunteers, the Creston RAGBRAI Committee will hold two volunteer training sessions next week.
The first session is 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, with the second session 7 p.m. Thursday. Both training sessions are at the congregate mealsite at the Creston restored Depot.
“Our main thing is recruiting of volunteers,” Creston RAGBRAI Volunteer Committee Co-chairperson Annette Rice said. “Originally, they told us we’d need between 700 and 800 (volunteers). I think we have just over 100 totally committed that have filled out applications.”
Volunteers are mostly needed at the campground sites – Southwestern Community College, McKinley Park and Creston High School. There, volunteers will greet vehicles and riders as they arrive in town and help them figure out where they need to go. Volunteers are also needed for July 26 as riders depart Creston.
“Right now, we’re looking for volunteers in the campground to direct traffic to the areas where the support vehicles and all other vehicles coming in are going,” Creston RAGBRAI Volunteer Committee Co-chairperson Gary Bucklin said. “Just directing traffic. It’s like cattle — once you get one pointed in the right direction, everyone will go.”
Rice said the volunteer training sessions are open to anyone interested in volunteering, even if they have not filled out an application to be a volunteer.
At this point, no more paper applications will be taken for volunteers. Those interested in volunteering simply need to contact one of the three co-chairs of the volunteer committee – Rice at 641-340-2996, Bucklin at 641-202-2163 or Warren Woods at 641-202-2285.
Volunteers receive a free T-shirt, and those who come to the training sessions will be given packets with all the information they’ll need on July 25 when an estimated 20,000 people descend upon Creston.
“People will be able to say they can work for one hour or all day or three hours. We’re going to take whatever people can give us,” Rice said. “All those locations will be busy from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.”
Volunteers are also needed at information centers at each campground location.
Bucklin expressed thanks to all those who have volunteered already and encourages others to step up and volunteer.
“We’re trying to put our best face forward during this RAGBRAI,” he said. “We want everybody to leave Creston on Tuesday morning (July 26) with a positive reaction to what we put forth.”