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Waterloo, which at 68,000 population is the largest city on the route, had even farther to go, with only about a third of its volunteer slots filled. Hall said it needs volunteers the day before, the day of and the day after RAGBRAI is there. VGM Group, a Waterloo headquartered medical services company, filled about a quarter of the volunteer shifts, Hall said. “Their folks have taken this as an opportunity to showcase Waterloo and making sure that Waterloo is known as a great place,” Hall said. “Hats off to those guys.” But some companies that Waterloo organizers thought would chip in manpower before the pandemic cancellation of RAGBRAI 2020 have not volunteered employees for the rescheduled ride, Hall said.
“Every company has their own spin on it and their own take,” Hall said. “We have been bailed out by having VGM being so bought in to our efforts.” Like Pirie, Hall stressed the importance of RAGBRAI to his community. The last time Waterloo hosted RAGBRAI, in 2010, the ride did not go so much through the city as around it. The main campgrounds and concerts were near the Isle Casino and Lost Island Waterpark about four miles south of downtown. This time the main campground will be Exchange Park, about a mile from downtown. All festivities also will be downtown, a district that has seen major investments and developments. They include SingleSpeed Brewing’s $6.5 million taproom, opened in 2017 in Waterloo’s iconic Wonder Bread Building, and the RiverLoop Amphitheatre and Expo Plaza opened next to the Cedar River in 2012. Hall views RAGBRAI as a chance to bring business to downtown shops that weathered the pandemic but could still use a boost. “We’ve had a heck of a lot of progress since the last time we hosted,” Hall said. “So it’s an opportunity to really show off.”