To the editor:

You cannot put on a competitive bike race without the help of many. Our thank you is a wide course of help, from our amazing volunteers that day to the local businesses who knew this niche event was going to be a reality in downtown Fort Dodge. There was much to do: planning, logistics, and discussion with many who would be involved, impacted or inconvenienced due to the event. We appreciate all who did their part to help us pull off this new, exciting activity on a beautiful July day.

Our goal is to say thanks. Thanks for believing in this race. Thank you for making the bike riders feel so welcomed here in our city. Thank you for understanding what this means for our city to put on more races in the future and how others now see us as a venue for hosting such bike events in this part of the state. It was a great day and turned into a great, fun-filled, family event for all to enjoy.

Thank you to: Walker’s Bike Shop, Fort Dodge Convention and Visitors Bureau, City of Fort Dodge Special Events Team/Ryan Maehl-Parks n’ Recreation, Fire Department, Police Department, Public Works, Fort Dodge Oral Surgery, Northwest Bank, Shimkat Motors, CJ Bio America, Fort Dodge Ford Lincoln Toyota, Guthrie and Associates Realty, Blue Pelham Water Co., Mitch Lunn/State Farm, Joe Tyrell/Eich & Tyrell, Jerry Schnurr/Schnurr Law Firm, Candies n’ More, Brown’s Shoe Fit Co., Party Productions, Jeff’s Jons, Graham Tire, Fort Dodge Noon Sertoma, Holiday Inn & Suites Express, Lifestyles Furniture and R&J Materials. Special thanks to USA Cycling officials: Bruce/Carol Pesch of Ames and Lisa Burnham of Altoona (judge) and Strider Bikes, Int’l for their assistance and sponsorship of this bike race. The event could not have happened without the Iowa Memorial Race Cup Series and the Iowa Bicycling Race Association.

A wonderful side perk to the race was the collaboration of the Iowa Cancer Consortium granting us high-grade sunscreen for the public to enjoy and to be used in community after the event. Also, USA Cycling deciding on Fort Dodge to be the only site in Iowa to sell authentic Team USA items in the popup shop downtown at Memories in Focus. The vintage bike displays downtown at Edward Jones Financial sponsored by the Fort Historical Museum and Frontier Village and Walker’s Bike Shop were a hit.

We thank you all; we thank Fort Dodge; we thank those who live and work in downtown Fort Dodge for your patience, understanding and tolerance while we had the event on July 6. We appreciate it all so that we can bring a new, exciting event to our community for all to enjoy. We took more notes, listened and will work out the kinks as any event has. Encouraging a healthy, vital activity brings positive attention to our city. Thank you again for supporting this bike race.

Meg Beshey

RocknRail1850 Committee

Fort Dodge