I went to school at Iowa State University for Public Relations and English and my professional background is all marketing and communications related. So like many of our riders, I didn’t know what to expect for my first HIRTA ride.

I started in Indianola where I first met one of our drivers, Glen, who took me around town. We picked up our first passenger who was headed to work. After we dropped him off, we brought another passenger home from work. And finally, a third passenger home from volunteering at the local animal shelter.

Next stop was Knoxville where I rode with Mike. The streets were flooded with racers and people eager for the World of Outlaws event that night. We picked up a passenger who was in a wheel chair from the hospital on her way back to the nursing home. Mike greeted her with a smile, secured her device before driving to her destination. Once there, he unloaded her and assisted her to the door.

My last stop of the day was in Newton, a town that was hit hard from the derecho earlier this summer. Riding throughout the town was devastating – power lines down, trees uprooted, people without power a week later and homes destroyed. But I saw a community coming together in its time of need. A community HIRTA is proud to serve.

Three different locations. Three different drivers. But the one thing all three of them had in common was how much they genuinely care about what they were doing. The connection between the drivers and passengers is evident immediately – even by an outsider like me. The passengers lit up when Glen greeted them right as soon as the door opened up. The amount of care Mike took in making sure the woman was picked up and dropped off with care while putting a smile on her face. And the amount of love and unity I saw in one of our communities. 

The world can be a tough place sometimes. But on the sunny afternoon I spent with the drivers and passengers, I was filled with hope.

In the meantime, ride safe and ride HIRTA.