Big blue monster would make Founding Fathers proud

Members of the Chicago Urban Bicycling Society pose met a mysterious monster in Duncombe. From left: Dana Nelson, Brad Prendergast, Kasey Porter (in costume), Gene Steingold, David Goodman and Joe Norber.

DUNCOMBE — It was unclear what the blue pear-shaped mascot on the main drag here was supposed to be. It had fluffy rainbow eyebrows and big pink lips.

But whatever it was, “it’s the main attraction,” said local eighth-grader Casey Kolbeck, a classmate of Kasey Porter, the guy inside the costume.

They’re raising for the annual eighth-grade trip to Washington, D.C. So really, it was a lesson in democracy: In America, you can learn how your government works by selling cinnamon rolls and disguising yourself as a big blue monster. The Founding Fathers would be so proud.

A group from the Chicago Urban Bicycling Society (CUBS) stopped for a photo with the mysterious creature. They’re celebrating the team’s 20th RAGBRAI anniversary and 10th year raising money for Camp Courageous, a program in Monticello, Ia., for kids with physical disabilities. So far the team has raised more $100,000.

This year they’re hosting a charity auction Thursday night at the Hotel Kirkwood in Cedar Rapids. The items up for bid include a recumbent bike, a hunting trip, and a week in Costa Rica.

“We wanted a way as a group to pay back the hospitality we’ve received in Iowa over the years,” team member Brad Prendergast said.

This year they plan to sleep overnight in an Eldora bank and the University of Iowa boat house in Iowa City. They slept last night in a Fort Dodge funeral home.