RAGBRAI officials were in Washington Wednesday, holding the first of many meetings with community organizers and officials to begin the planning process for this summer’s event.

Michelle Redlinger, Director of the Washington Chamber of Commerce and Sarah Sadrakula Director of Main Street Washington, shared that the purpose of the officials visit this week was to begin the process of putting together the behind the scenes organization that will help the event be successful in Washington.

This integral organization is to be made up of community volunteers that follow a specific hierarchy. At the top of the hierarchy is an advisory board. This group is made up of volunteers whose role it is to oversee all of the decisions made. Redlinger and Sadrakula said there has been lots of interest in these positions and they hope to have its members confirmed and announced early next week. This group of individuals will then name RAGBRAI Co-Chairs. The function of the Co-Chairs is to help find volunteers and committee chairs in the area to help fill and operate the more than 22 subcommittees that will be in charge of everything from camping to entertainment to garbage collection.

Redlinger and Sadrakula explained that the search has already begun for volunteers for the event. Those that are interested are asked to provide their information via a sign-up sheet on the RAGBRAI Washington 2016 Facebook page. At the top of the page is a sign-up button. On the next page people will be prompted to enter their information and choose which committees they have the most interest in.

Washington was selected as an overnight stop on the 43rd annual edition of RAGBRAI. The event will be hosted in the city on Friday, July 29th.