Blue ribbons fluttered in the wind from light poles as participants parked their bikes and made their way into the Hotel Pattee in Perry ahead of Saturday’s Bike Ride to Rippey.
The ride, held annually on the first Saturday of February, returned for the 47th year one month after the shootings at Perry High School. Blue ribbons — Perry's school color — were included in the registration packets and many riders pinned them to their jackets. Riders held a moment of silence before they departed for Rippey.
“The BRR ride is definitely a fun tradition for everyone, but this year was definitely special to see extra support come out today,” said Perry Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lynsi Pasutti. “We definitely felt the support pouring into Perry. After the recent tragedy at the high school, it was just so nice to have this positive note and see all of that support coming into Perry.”
Saturday's BRR event, she said, was part of the community's healing process.
“I think it’s important to find ways to take that one step forward and see how we can get back on track to somewhat normal,” she said. “Having everyone come out and continue this annual tradition has been important for the community as well as the riders.”
Dylan Butler, a 17-year-old Perry High School student, shot and killed 11-year-old Ahmir Jolliff, a student at the adjacent middle school, fatally wounded Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger and injured two other staff members and four students before taking his own life Jan. 4.
Werner and Lisa Marie Hellmer, of Las Vegas, tied blue ribbons to the back of their tandem bike and wore more ribbons on their helmets.
“We’re looking forward to it. We brought our tandem and we’re here to support Perry,” Werner Hellmer said before the start of BRR.
His mother's family was from Perry and his grandfather worked for the railroad. Werner Hellmer rode his first BRR in 1991 and continued for a few years before moving out of Iowa. He’s flown back the past couple of years for BRR and said he especially wanted to come back for this year’s ride.
“It was an unfortunate event that happened,” Lisa Marie Hellmer said of the Jan. 4 shootings. “We wanted to come and show our support.”
“Perry has always had a strong sense of community so we just wanted to come and help support that,” Werner Hellmer added.
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Record number of riders
Saturday’s BRR event saw more than 1,000 registered riders and support the ride participants. Around 1,500 were counted on the road before 1 p.m.
Last year’s event featured 634 registered riders.
“We’re definitely close to record numbers this year, at least in the last 10 years,” Pasutti said.
Around 50 riders made the lengthy trek from Colorado, Georgia, Nevada, Virginia, Utah and more. Other riders came from across the state, including from Ames, Iowa City and around Des Moines.
Winter’s long-standing tradition
The 24-mile ride to Rippey and back is held every year regardless of weather. Last year’s ride featured temperatures in the high 40s, while the 2021 event saw a high of 9 degrees and wind chills dipping as low as minus 10.
Temperatures read 38 degrees when riders took off from Perry at 10 a.m. and climbed to 40 degrees by 2 p.m.
Larry and Nancy Sinnwell, of West Des Moines, have been participating in BRR since 2009.
“We like to get a bike ride in every month over the year; this is our February bike ride. It’s always fun to see all of the bikes. It’s a fun ride,” Larry Sinnwell said.
As for what makes the BRR event unique, he was quick to say the weather. The wind, he added, was likely to be the biggest factor for this year’s ride.
“But it’s been worse before,” Nancy Sinnwell said.
“I don’t remember what the temperature was but one year we had no skin showing whatsoever. We had all of our ski clothes on and goggles,” Larry Sinnwell added.
Dean Berkland, of Perry, said this year would be his 37th BRR ride. He’s missed 10 rides, mostly due to weather.
“There've been some really nice ones and I’ve had rain, I’ve had snow, fog was terrible a couple years ago,” he said. “This is a beautiful day for this, it would be nice if the sun was out but that’s OK. The wind will be tough coming back to Perry. We’ll see how it goes.”
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Berkland enjoys seeing so many area riders make their way to Perry for the BRR event each year.
“I just love seeing people on bikes, I love biking and it’s great to have nice people to visit with. That’s really the fun part of this,” he said.
He especially enjoyed seeing all of the blue ribbons worn by riders during Saturday’s event.
“It’s so fun. I’ve seen some long blue ones flowing in the wind. That’s a nice thing,” Berkland said of the signs of support.
Allison Ullmann is the editor of the Perry Chief. Reach her at aullmann@theperrychief.com.
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Bike Ride to Rippey
The Bike Ride to Rippey (BRR) is an annual event held in Perry, Iowa. It takes place on the first Saturday of February and has been a tradition for 47 years The ride involves participants biking from Perry to Rippey, covering a distance of 24 miles. Despite the weather conditions, the event is held every year, and participants brave the cold temperatures to take part in the ride.
Blue Ribbons
Blue ribbons were included in the registration packets for the BRR event. Participants pinned these blue ribbons, which represent Perry's school color, to their jackets as a symbol of support The blue ribbons served as a way to show solidarity and unity within the community after the recent tragedy at Perry High School.
Perry High School Shooting
On January 4, prior to the BRR event, a tragic incident occurred at Perry High School. A 17-year-old student shot and killed an 11-year-old student from the adjacent middle school, fatally wounded the high school principal, and injured two staff members and four students before taking his own life The BRR event, held one month after the shooting, was seen as part of the community's healing process and an opportunity to come together and support one another.
Community Support and Healing
The BRR event held special significance this year, as it provided an opportunity for the community to come together and heal after the tragedy at Perry High School. The executive director of the Perry Chamber of Commerce expressed gratitude for the extra support shown during the event and emphasized the importance of finding ways to move forward and return to a sense of normalcy.
Record Number of Riders
This year's BRR event saw a record number of registered riders, with over 1,000 participants. This is a significant increase compared to the previous year, which had 634 registered riders The event attracted riders not only from Perry and surrounding areas but also from states like Colorado, Georgia, Nevada, Virginia, and Utah.
Tradition and Weather
The BRR event has been a long-standing tradition in Perry, Iowa. It is held every year, regardless of the weather conditions Participants have experienced a wide range of weather during the event, from temperatures in the high 40s to as low as 9 degrees with wind chills as low as minus 10 Despite the challenging weather, participants continue to take part in the ride, showcasing their dedication and resilience.
In summary, the Bike Ride to Rippey is an annual event held in Perry, Iowa, where participants bike from Perry to Rippey. This year's event held special significance as the community came together to heal after a tragic incident at Perry High School. The event saw a record number of riders, and despite the challenging weather conditions, participants showed their dedication to the tradition. The blue ribbons worn by riders symbolized support and unity within the community.
