Riders from all over the world will dip their bicycle tires in the Mississippi River this weekend officially ending the week-long annual RAGBRAI ride. Businessolver participated in the event that showcases the state of Iowa by honoring an employee who recently passed away.

A special tribute to our dear friend Chris Charron was held on the third day of the ride in Leon, Iowa. Businessolver also sponsored heart checks for any rider who wanted to know their numbers. Jeff Anderson, AVP Strategic Operations, rode in Chris’ honor and spoke on the company’s behalf at the tribute event:

“Riding on RAGBRAI this year was not optional for me. Many years ago, I had the fortunate opportunity to meet Chris Charron. He was one of those people who, after you met him, made you realize that your life was missing something before he came along. His quirky personality and the fact he was a diehard Minnesota Vikings fan were big pluses in my book. He also had a visible passion for his family, his country, and a love of cycling that made him my buddy. A few months ago, Charron took a vacation that played right into those passions – visiting his granddaughter and riding his bike around Gettysburg National Military Park. He accomplished both.

The next day, we found out Charron passed away. So riding one day of RAGBRAI, especially with a large group of people whose lives were also touched by Charron was a no-brainer. I’m 100% sure Charron was looking down and laughing at me one more time as I peddled through 60+ miles of the rolling hills of southern Iowa (nope, Iowa really is not flat) in 90 degree heat. I could have quit at any point, but in the back of my mind, I kept thinking about one last lesson from Chris: What if this is the last chance I have to do this? 

It was a great relief to finally pull into Leon after a full day of riding and a great sense of pride knowing I did so because of a great friend. I truly believe that even after someone is no longer on this earth, as long as one person still remembers them, they are never really gone. Charron left a large enough mark on this world that he will never really be gone.”