(Orange City) — Last evening, (Monday) the Orange City RAGBRAI committee unveiled its theme and logo during a town meeting held at the Orange City town hall. Orange City has been selected to serve as the overnight host community for the start of the 45th annual Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. More than 20,000 bicycle riders and their support teams will converge on the dutch community
known primarily for its tulip festival. The chosen theme combines the town’s Dutch heritage with the thought of staying up all night to celebrate. 11-year old Avery Kelch of Orange City submitted the winning theme of “Dutch Till Dawn.” She says she started thinking about a theme the night of the announcement party
when Orange City was chosen as a host city.
Although the pre-teen did not create the official logo for the Orange City RAGBRAI event, she never-the-less gives her stamp of approval.
The logo was also unveiled during the community meeting. It features a bicycle wheel with a rising sun, using the spokes of the wheel as sun rays, and a Dutch
windmill that is silhouetted against the rising sun. In the foreground is a winding path with fields of green on both sides.
Mike Hofman is the Orange City Chamber of Commerce Executive Director and also serves as the Secretary for the Orange City RAGBRAI committee. He talks about
how the Sioux County community will prepare for the special event.
Hofman says Northwestern College is planning on opening their dormitories to serve as temporary housing for the thousands of bicyclists, but he urges Orange City residents to open their homes to the overnight guests.
The Orange City RAGBRAI committee is asking for people to donate their old discarded and unused bicycles to be used for decorations.
Hofman says the annual bicycle event will need to have hundreds of volunteers, and he is urging all Orange City residents to get involved. He talks about how to recruit the needed volunteers.
The Orange City RAGBRAI committee also announced the evening’s entertainment planned for the opening night of RAGBRAI. The Orange City Chamber executive
says both bands could be considered as headliners.
During the town hall meeting, the Orange City RAGBRAI committee hosted a whimsical style show featuring many people wearing the official Orange City RAGBRAI t-shirts, and encouraging the town’s people to purchase the shirt and
wear it around town.
