By TIM ALEXANDER
Illinois Correspondent

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Stifling heat, high winds and even thunderstorms couldn’t stop a determined group of 62 farmer-riders participating in the annual Illinois Ag in the Classroom (IAITC) bike ride from making their appointed rounds to 46 central Illinois schools from Sept. 2-4.

“It was the most challenging weather we’ve ever had for the bike ride,” conceded Steve Newman, executive director of the IAA Foundation, the fundraising arm of IAITC. “We had 95-degree heat the first day, rain and winds the second day and thunderstorms the third.

“The final day was just too hazardous to ride, so we used cars and trailers to transport the riders and bikes.”

The poor weather, however, didn’t stop riders from traversing some 200 miles over the country roads and city streets in and around Morton, Peoria and Dunlap to visit with schoolchildren and spread the word about the vital role agriculture plays in their lives.

“The kids, teachers and even the principals all had a great time at the assemblies. It was a hit wherever we went,” said Newman.
The event grossed almost $60,000 to be used for agricultural education in schools in all of Illinois’ 102 counties.

Kevin Daugherty, education manager for IAITC, said the theme of this year’s ride was “The Agriculture Bandit,” featuring a skit about “a bandit who comes and steals all the things related to agriculture from a student’s normal daily life.” The purpose of the skit was to illustrate to children how they, as consumers, utilize agricultural products.

“The riders also talked about ag production, harvest, transportation, processing, manufacturing, shipping and distribution of foods made with corn,” Daugherty said. “From tassel to table, they traced the path corn takes to your dinner table.”

The money raised will be used specifically for developing ag education programs in schools, and materials for both pupils and teachers.

The bike ride is one of three big fundraising events the IAA Foundation sponsors each year to benefit IAITC, along with a target competition at the World Shooting & Recreation Complex in Sparta and a golf outing in Pontiac. Those two events pull in another $65,000 for IAITC, Newman said.

IAITC is also the recipient of the generosity of some 35 corporate sponsors, including Monsanto, Archer Daniels Midland, GROWMARK and many other ag-related corporations and businesses. Including money raised by the IAA Foundation, more than $600,000 has been raised this year to help fund IAITC.

IAITC helps develop critical thinking and research skills, leadership and basic educational literacy while exploring issues in agriculture and the environment, Newman said.