G - O - B - A

Those initials stand for Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure, or GOBA. Here’s what it means:

Bluffton is on the 27th annual GOBA bicycle tour in June. Up to 2,500 persons – mostly on bicycles – will arrive in Bluffton from Van Wert on the morning of Sunday, June 21.

That means that on that weekend Bluffton will be the bicycle capital of Ohio.

While in Bluffton bikers will camp at Bluffton University. On Monday morning, June 22, they will depart for Defiance.

Their overnight visit will create a huge immediate economic impact to the community.  They will need to eat, be entertained and check out the sites of the community.

More importantly, if what they find in Bluffton interests them, many will return for a second visit.

There are many opportunities for service organizations, churches, non-profit groups and businesses to become involved in GOBA’s Bluffton experience.

The Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce, working with Liz Harner of CG Pro Bikes, coordinates GOBA’s activities.

Several area required volunteers to step in to assist in specific duties during GOBA’s visit. There are opportunities for persons of all ages to participate. These areas include:

• Campground logistics
• Transportation (shuttle bus service)
• Emergency planning
• Housing
• Food
• Entertainment
• Information booth

GOBA provides each host community with funding for several of these areas. In addition, bikers pay for their own food and provide tips for persons assisting with luggage handing.

GOBA officials held a safety-emergency services meeting in Bluffton earlier this winter.

At 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 17, in the third floor of the town hall, GOBA will make presentations to all groups interested in selling food in June 21-22. Groups interested need to send a representative to that information meeting.

Additional meeting are planned in April to coordinate other areas to be covered in GOBA’s Bluffton visit.

As a starting point, persons wanting to know how they may assist or offer to provide services should contact either:

• Liz Harner at CG Pro Bikes, [email protected]
• or Fred Steiner at the chamber, at [email protected]

Watch for additional GOBA comes released each week until the June event.