Iowa bike event RAGBRAI used Sigourney for their lunch break and meet-up location on Friday, July 29.  MAP was involved in a few ways in an effort to help out the town and highlight our skills as a company.  Amber Kephart, regional manager and advertising sales for the Keota Eagle, the Sun, and the News-Review, served on the town planning committees as co-chair.  MAP served the project by sponsoring an event website.  News-Review staff also got in on the fun to cover the event for the paper.  (Pictured above are C.J. Eilers and his favorite mascot, Cy from ISU, posing as riders filter through town.)

Amber reports that the event was a total success and great experience for both the town and the riders.  "We heard all day and through today even how wonderful our town was, how respectful our residents were and how hospitable and organized we were," she says.  "We had a clean up crew of volunteers who started at 9 a.m. and went through all day until after 5 p.m. but they did’t have much to do! The riders did a fantastic job getting their trash picked up. They were very respectful of our town."

MAP being involved with RAGBRAI has lead to a lot of custom print jobs, says Amber, as well as a better connection to the community of Sigourney.  "I truly feel that this put us in a good place with not only the town but also our area development and city are looking at us for additional printing jobs that we had not gotten in the past."

Pia Hovenga, a graphic designer in the Hampton Chronicle office (who also heads up Viva Iowa), rode the whole RAGBRAI route this year and had fun using the Sigourney office as a pit stop to catch up on a little work while on her vacation.  She's pictured here holding up her bike after the traditional dip of the bike wheels into the Mississippi.

"I can say that I enjoy it every year, especially the fact that you’re riding freely with thousands of people just for the fun of it," says Pia.  "For the majority of us, RAGBRAI is not a race and you have a lot of time to talk to people from many different places and backgrounds.  You also get to know yourself in a different way because it’s just you and your bike. It changes you, your vision of community and your overall view of the world. I personally think if people would ride a bike, the world would be a much better place. "

MAP CEO Ryan Harvey says that MAP will continue to be involved each time RAGBRAI passes through one of our towns.  The RAGBRAI route for 2017 will be announced in late January or early February 2017.