Riding for a cure: Grandson of former Clarksville counselor takes on RAGBRAI

By: 
Bethany Carson

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For Jake Morel, riding in RAGBRAI this year is about keeping a promise to his grandma, Donna Davenport (Smith), who formerly worked as a guidance counselor at Clarksville Schools. It’s also about finding a cure for the disease that took her life before he could keep that promise.
     A few years back, Morel, from Calfornia, was living in Iowa when Davenport presented him with a deal.
     “I’ll buy you whatever bike you want if you do the bike ride [RAGBRAI],” Davenport said.
     She bought the bike, but he moved back to California before he could ride RAGBRAI. This year, Morel looked up the RAGBRAI route. The route ended in Davenport, and he knew he had to ride it in honor of Grandma Davenport. It was a spur-of-the moment decision just before the registration deadline.
 
Read more in the July 26 edition of the STAR.

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