(Radio Iowa) – Thousands of bicyclists will be pedalling through the state next week on RAGBRAI — the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa — and many organizations in towns along the route are planning fundraisers. The Estherville Lincoln Central School District will be the main camping site for cyclists next Monday night and while Superintendent Andy Armstead says the football field is off limits, other green spaces are open for camping. “RAGBRAI’s official trailers and such will be set up in our parking lots,” he says. “Different groups in the athletic department are going to sell showers since the campgrounds are right there, so that’s awesome.” The district’s “After Prom Committee” has plans, too.

“The ‘After Prom’ has like four locations, I believe. They’re going to be making breakfast the next morning as the riders get ready to and stuff, so one of them will be right here at the central office, so that’ll be kind of cool.” The first pass through town for RAGBRAI riders on Tuesday, July 22nd, will be Armstrong. North Union Elementary Principal Katie Black says several of the district’s teachers will be selling chicken protein bowls — and each of them has a wish list of supplies they plan to buy with the profits.

The teachers partnered with the school’s head cook, who’s also a caterer and has a way to order the ingredients in bulk. Last year, a RAGBRAI fundraiser in Greenfield netted 50-thousand dollars for tornado relief efforts. This year’s RAGBRAI starts in Orange City on Sunday, with overnight stops in Milford, Estherville, Forest City, Iowa Falls, Cedar Falls and Oelwein. It ends on Saturday, July 26th in Guttenberg.