GREENFIELD, Iowa — The City of Greenfield is quickly cleaning up and getting ready to welcome RAGBRAI riders.
It’s been almost two months since an EF-4 tornado hit the city, located about an hour southwest of Des Moines.
Thanks to volunteers, many damaged homes have been torn down. When cyclists make their way through the city on July 23 organizers want to show them just how strong this community is.
Before the tornado hit, Greenfield was already picked as a destination along the RAGBRAI route.
Organizers even had a theme centered around the 1971 movie “Cold Turkey,” filmed in Greenfield, May 21 changed everything.
“I mean the question was were we even going to do it and we talked to a lot of people and they were like ‘yes do it,’” Greenfield RAGBRAI planning co-chair Gina School said. “So we kind of changed our theme just to ‘Greenfield Strong Rising After The Storm.’”
To showcase the city’s resilience, the Adair and Guthrie County Emergency Management Agency wants a helping hand from you. It's looking for 20 to 25 volunteers daily to help pick up debris.
Volunteer check-in begins at 8 a.m. each day at 801 NE 6th St. Large groups are encouraged to call ahead at 913-961-4717.
“The goal is before RAGBRAI shows up to have all of the properties completely cleaned up,” Jeremy Cooper, Adair and Guthrie County Emergency Management coordinator, said. “We have yards that need to be raked out and just all that debris pulled up.”
The RAGBRAI route through Greenfield has even been altered.
“We decided to take them through where some of the houses were destroyed and some of the destruction there,” School said.
Large signs will line the route, displaying images of how the neighborhoods looked before the storm.
“We just want to see people enjoying our town again,” School said.
All of the vendors will have tip jars the day RAGBRAI comes through Greenfield. Everything raised will go towards rebuilding the Greenfield Fire Station.