It’s not every day that a town like Solon has thousands of bike riders passing slowly through their town, checking out the ambience and its quaint charm, but that’s what will happen on Friday, when Solon is a pass-through town for this year’s RAGBRAI bicycle ride.

To maximize the impact of this rare opportunity, the town is working with five students from the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center. The students have interned through the summer with the city and its RAGBRAI organizing committee to help businesses get noticed by riders as they pass through on July 24. 

Phil Jordan, assistant director for economic development in the Tippie College of Business, said the goal of the students’ efforts is to bring riders’ attention to the town’s quality of life and to see it as a destination that they’ll want to return to. Maybe, he said, some will want to open a business and contribute to its economic development.

The students started working with the planning committee in May to help promote the town’s upcoming events and plan the day-of-the-ride activities. They started a Twitter page and a blog, and hosted a pre-ride on June 28, riding from Hiawatha to Coralville through Solon, as RAGBRAI riders will do this week.

This week, the students will be running a hay bale toss for the riders, and are co-sponsoring a photo booth with Solon Beef Days.

“I enjoy these opportunities through my entrepreneurship classes, and I like being active in the entrepreneurial community,” says Abby Dusen, a senior health studies major and entrepreneurial management certificate student who is overseeing the social media campaign. “I understand marketing better because of JPEC and I’m able to use these skills in the social media campaign for Solon.”

Bob Walker, the students’ faculty adviser and a lecturer in the entrepreneurial program, says the internship program will likely expand next year to include several pass-through towns along RAGBRAI’s entire route through the state.

“This year’s students are creative and they’re doing a great job,” says Walker, who will be riding RAGBRAI himself.

Other student interns include Leah Adams, Harley Luck, Evan Mayer, and Sarah Parrish.