Remembering Joan
Prairie Trails Ride raises funds for trail upkeep
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Rochelle Green, co-organizer of the annual Prairie Trails Ride, welcomed everyone gathered at Salty Suz in downtown Fort Dodge Saturday morning with a reminder of a person many of them knew and loved -- Joan Meyer, of Fort Dodge.
Meyer died on Jan. 29, 2026, of cancer.
"What an incredible day to celebrate our trails, our community and an absolutely amazing woman, Joan Meyer," Green said.
The annual event has raised funds for many causes over the years. Moving forward, to honor Meyer, the event will raise funds in her name for trail beautification and enhancements.
"If you knew Joan, you know she believed in making the most of every minute," Green said. "She was known as the CEO of fun, our Mother Superior, Jonie Ponie and everyone's best friend."
Kelly Raymond, of Fort Dodge, brought her dog "Moose" on the ride. Moose enjoyed the scenery from a special backpack made for dogs. Raymond was a friend of Meyer's.
"We were teammates for a long time," Raymond said. "We are Joan."
Mary Kay Daniel, of Fort Dodge, was a friend and RAGBRAI teammate.
"This is to honor our good friend Joan," she said. "She was very special to the team and the biking community."
Kari Reed, of Fort Dodge, fondly remembered Meyer too.
"Joan had this ability to connect people," Reed said. "She introduced me to a group of friends."
She was looking forward to the ride. Two different routes gave participants a 17-mile or a 25-mile trip. Stops were planned at half a dozen local bars and restaurants for "refreshments."
"I get to spend the day with friends," Reed said.
Tami Anderson, of Fort Dodge, was attending the ride for the first time. She rode a three-wheel electric bike.
"I don't have to worry about falling over," Anderson said.
She wanted to help.
"We used to ride motorcycles," Anderson said. "When we got the bikes, we started riding trials. I said to myself, 'We should do something to help.'"
Her friend Marc McCulloch, of Fort Dodge, has the same bike.
He did fall off.
"I did half a million miles on motorcycles without a scratch," McCulloch said. "Then today, this."
He kept going with a bandage over the cut and scrape.
McCulloch also had some cool tech on the trail.
"We've got two-way earbuds with Bluetooth," he said.
Kyle Green, of Fort Dodge, spent 18 years being the bus driver for Joan Meyer's RAGBRAI team. He never got to actually ride though.
On Saturday, he brought his electric scooter.
"It has about a 40-mile range." Green said. "I can hit the whole trail loop in a day and be fine. It gets you to the place where you want to explore without being worn out."
He, too, was fondly remembering Meyer and glad to help preserve her memory in a constructive way.
"The money goes to something she was passionate about," Green said.