Iowa Spirits Spring Summer 2019 - 17

said. "It's a way to let the towns know when the time," he says. "We've got some good partnerday's going to wrap up, and it's worked really ships in the state. DOT is making sure they're
well. It allows people to enjoy the entire route operating safely. State patrol makes sure they're
for that day."
following state laws, making sure the drivers of
It isn't illegal to ride your bike at night, but it those vehicles aren't impaired."
isn't wise. RAGBRAI and the IHP instigated a
JAKE HOLMES handles education & outreach
"sweep" policy, whereby law enforcement actively
for the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, the
encourages riders to get off the road before state arm that oversees licenses and permits. He
sunset.
says part of ABD's RAGBRAI role is education.
RAGBRAI Director T.J. JUSKIEWICZ took
"Obviously RAGBRAI is an event in Iowa
over from Green in 2004 to help the event con- where there's a lot of alcohol involved, so as the
tinue at the same level it deserves. His friendlier,
regulator of alcohol in Iowa, we wanted to
more relaxed approach to RAGBRAI partiers has develop some sort of educational initiative to
helped the ride mature.
try to reach out to people along the route,"
Holmes says. "Retailers who might have a
Juskiewicz rode RAGBRAI in 2002 before joining the team.
licensed establishment on the route, or the local
"I came on in 2003 and shadowed Jim for just
authorities-the city clerks and county auditors
over a year and learned the role firsthand," who will approve the licenses along the route,
Juskiewicz says. "I'm glad I had the opportunity
and law enforcement."
to ride it from that perspective. It helped
Being that RAGBRAI goes across the state and
tremendously."
the route changes every year, it gave the ABD the
He says alcohol sponsors and vendors have
ability to reach out to a lot of different people.
evolved along with RAGBRAI.
"We want to get the message out to everyone
"Most of the drinking that occurs-there's obviinvolved so there's a level playing field for everyously bars and restaurants that sell a lot of alcohol
body across the state," Holmes says. "After the
on RAGBRAI - most of the people are very
route's announced, RAGBRAI holds pass-through
responsible about it," he says.
town meetings and overnight town meetings for
Juskiewicz doesn't consider the school buses those towns involved, and we've been included
in those presentations now."
tricked up with dance floors on top and kegs of
beer inside for a club's team members to present
The ABD educates alcohol vendors in rules
the problems they once did.
and regulations and licensing.
"There's more of those teams out there all the
"The biggest thing was a lot of these smaller
COURTESY OF THE DES MOINES REGISTER

The IOWA sculpture at Trestle Park in
Manning was designed by Iowa State
University College of Design students.

SPRING | SUMMER 2019 17

Iowa Spirits Spring Summer 2019

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