Statewide Iowa — Iowa’s Ride 2020, the inaugural ride across Iowa from east to west has been canceled.
Iowa’s Ride Sheldon 2020 Co-Chair Heidi Brown tells KIWA that she was contacted by Iowa’s Ride Director TJ Juskiewicz Monday to inform her that the decision had been made to cancel this year’s event.
On the Iowa’s Ride 2020 website, organizers say, “after evaluating the current situation surrounding Coronavirus (COVID-19) and great concern for the safety of the general public, the townspeople, riders, support drivers, volunteers, the Iowa State Patrol troopers, safety officials and staff, it will not be safe nor feasible to host the inaugural Iowa’s Ride on July 12-18, 2020.”
The website goes on to say, “Our top priority has always been the safety of everyone that would be involved in the event. We carefully monitored the evolving pandemic and consulted with health and safety officials across the state and country and town leaders to base any decisions. With Governor Reynolds closing all Iowa schools for the year (several were planned to be used for campgrounds) and recommendations to not continue the ride from the various law enforcement agencies, emergency managers, city managers and mayors, county supervisors, local hospital officials and other safety agencies that have been involved with the planning of Iowa’s Ride, we knew the ride could not continue as planned.”
Iowa’s Ride 2020 had been scheduled for an overnight stop in Sheldon on Friday, July 17th, and would have ended in Rock Rapids on Saturday July 18th.
Brown tells KIWA that, according to Juskiewicz, a date for Iowa’s Ride 2021 has not been set.
To see the complete announcement, visit the Iowa’s Ride website by CLICKING HERE.
