April 23, 2024

Volunteers’ hand-made Hawaiian decor ready for RAGBRAI

Paint the town

By Samuel Nusbaum

Colorful flip flops are among the among the many decorations which will go up around Newton. Newton RAGBRAI’s Hospitality Committee has been hard at work constructing decoration for when the bike ride rolls into town July 25. (Submitted Photo)

With thousands of bike riders, both competitive and recreational, descending on Newton Wednesday, the city will be putting on its best face for 2018 RAGBRAI. This is no small feat, but with the help of dedicated volunteers, the city will be decorated to say “Aloha Mahalo.”

Chantel Lundberg is an executive board member who has been working on Newton’s Hawaiian RAGBRAI decor riders will see throughout the city — an undertaking that’s been ongoing since early June.

Newton RAGBRAI’s Hospitality Committee, under Lundberg’s direction, is in charge of making the decorations. With the help of volunteers from other RAGBRAI committees, they are nearly complete.

“It is definitely a team effort with a lot of different individuals,” Lundberg said.

Volunteers have created 36 surfboards, nine flip flops at eight feet tall, a giant beach ball arch and 10-feet-tall leis to be hung in Maytag Park.

Lundberg said most of the decorations will be at the entrance to town where the RAGBRAI participants will be welcomed to Newton.

“They will be coming in on North Fourth Avenue West and the welcome area, or grand entryway area, is going to be on North Second Avenue which is going to be in front of the DMACC facility. Then the riders will take a right onto Third Street to go out to Maytag Park, so that whole route in town will be lined with decorations,” Lundberg said.

She said there will also be decorations along the “goodbye” route where the riders leave the next morning.

Ron McCarthy is also a member of the Hospitality Committee and said the surf boards are more than just decoration for bike riders and passersby to enjoy.

“As they get close from 10 miles on, we’ll have a little surf board which tells them exactly how many miles to go with a rather unique saying on the board,” McCarthy said.

Volunteers ensured the decorations are colorful, handmade and provide an ocean-side atmosphere. McCarthy said if Hawaii and Iowa could be melded, it would become “Hawiowa,” and that’s what riders have in store for Wednesday. The goal, McCarthy said, is to enhance Newton’s already charming look so visitors will want to come back.

The Hospitality Committee worked in shifts along with volunteers to install supports on the backs of the surfboards and flip flops, working long hours to complete projects.

Look for Newton to have its overnight makeover done Tuesday, just hours before riders hit the Newton stretch of RAGBRAI. The committee has also left a surfboard mile-marker with a special for the riders as they leave town.

Contact Sam Nusbaum at 641-792-3121 ext. 66533 or snusbaum@newtondailynews.com