BRAN ride in 2018 selects Imperial for overnight stop

    Imperial’s population will increase significantly early next June when the 2018 Bike Ride Across Nebraska (BRAN) makes its first overnight stop in the community.
    A BRAN 38 Route Announcement Party was held last week in Omaha, when the June 3-9, 2018 details were announced.
    Ogallala will be the starting point Sunday, June 3. Riders will bike the 43 miles to Imperial for Sunday’s overnight stay.
    After their stay here, riders will continue on east with other overnight stops in McCook, Alma, Red Cloud, Fairbury and Seward.  The tour will end on Saturday, June 9, in Ashland.
    Chris Lee, one of the BRAN committee co-chairs, said the event will be good for the community.
    BRAN started its 2000 ride in Imperial, and from what Lee has been told, it brought a lot of good exposure to the area.
    “With a short ride for them that day, they may be able to spend a little more time in Imperial” and the area, he said.
    Lee said the committee has a lot of work to do in the next six months.
    The committee will meet next week, he said, to begin mapping out duties and getting the community involved.
    Seventeen years ago people opened up their homes to BRAN riders who wanted a bed to sleep in instead of camping. Anyone interested in providing that can contact him or a committee member.  
    He said anyone interested in working with them in any one of a number of areas can contact him at 308-882-3205 or one of the other co-chairs—Michelle Spady, Mary Deyle, Eric Exum and Kevin Chavira, all who work at Pinnacle Bank, 308-882-4297.
    Lee contacted school administration this week about providing the football field as a camp site for the riders the night of June 3, and has Supt. Joey Lefdal’s support.
Ride details
    BRAN’s 2018 theme is “A Southern State of Mind” and riders will be traveling the southern most roads in the state of Nebraska.  
    The route is half flat and half rolling hills, said organizers, “but it is all beautiful and scenic. “

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