On Saturday, July 18, Mike Lofaro and Rob Neal, members of the Business Solutions executive team, along with a crew of close friends, embarked on the journey to Sioux City, Iowa. There they would begin the nearly 482 mile expedition across the state of Iowa in which they would be traveling via bicycle.
The cross-state ride, known as The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI), is an annual bike ride consisting of nearly 9,000 riders. Lofaro and Neal, along with their assembled cycling team, participated in this opportunity not only for their love of riding, but to serve as missionaries as well. The organization and corresponding team name is known as “Man Up and Go,” a charity that emphasizes the relief for orphans and widows, as well as those who are generally less fortunate.
The team is using the RAGBRAI trip as a method of fundraising for the organization by sharing their mission to citizens of the pitstop cities along the journey. The group rides as much as 76 miles a day, and then devotes their evenings to serving.
Lofaro noted the difficulty of the process, but realizes the pay-off his work will have in the end.
“Oh man it was tough but God has my back. [These are] great guys and fun times,” he said.
The group continues their trip each day in the early hours of the morning. You can follow their progress below:
Sunday:
The team traveled 76.5 miles from Sioux City to Storm Lake.
Monday:
The group traveled 68.7 miles from Storm Lake to Fort Dodge.
Tuesday:
The crew rode 72.9 miles from Fort Dodge to Eldora.
Wednesday:
The team biked 58.4 miles from Eldora to Cedar Falls.
On Wednesday night, the team visited trailer park homes and delivered household goods to the residential families.
Thursday:
The crew traveled 70.9 miles from Cedar Falls to Hiawatha.
Friday:
The crew rode a 65.6 mile route from Hiawatha to Coralville.
Saturday:
The group traveled 68.5 miles from Coralville to Davenport–the last leg of the ride.
Once they concluded the ride, the men made their way to the shore of the Mississippi River, where they, as tradition calls, dipped their front tires into the river water. Participants also start the race by dipping the back tire of his or her bike into the Missouri River in Sioux City.
“We’re done. 462 miles. We’re very tired, but our team made it,” Lofaro said following the finish of the ride.
Business Solutions and the Man Up and Go RAGBRAI team would like to thank Phoenix Home Care for sponsoring the group’s ride.
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