(Photo submitted) Northwest Bank Relay Riders (left to right) Dean Jacobsen, Rich Noah, Tarrel Storey, Greg Post and Eric Van Der Heide pause for a quick photo before heading out of town.

A group of riders began the day at Estherville, leaving the Northwest Bank branch at 6 a.m. and continuing to Spirit Lake, Spencer and eventually Fort Dodge where the 150-mile fundraising bike ride ended. Greg Post, executive vice president, and Dean Jacobsen, Spencer market president led the charge through all 150 miles of Thursday's ride and were joined along the way by other members of the bank staff.

En route from Estherville to Spirit Lake, Greg and Dean were joined by Chris Sorensen, Estherville market president.

With a sunny sky, temps in the mid-60's and light winds, the ride is off to a great start, rendezvousing with more team members at Northwest's Spirit Lake bank location.

Riders joining in the cause are Jed Jensen, Lakes market president, Jodi Lange, retail banking executive, Molly Gildemeister, retail banking executive, Joe Conover, vice president commercial lending, and Tony Peschong, Milford market president.

Greg, Dean and Tarrel Storey, vice president, marketing director were greeted by cheers and balloons from the Northwest Bank Spencer staff as they arrived at the main bank location.

The riders were joined by Eric Van Der Heide, commercial account representative, for this long leg of the journey that take them to Northwest Bank in Algona.

Shortly after 11:30 a.m., Dean suffered a tire blowout, but the team came together and made short work of fixing the flat, getting Dean back in the race.

While stopped, the riders refueled with turkey and chicken wraps before taking back to the road.

Shortly after 3 p.m., the riders reached Algona with Greg and Dean having completed two-thirds of their journey, Tarrel Storey, Richard Noah and Eric Van Der Heide completed their support ride.

Additional bank members from Humblodt and Algona branches joined the ride and continued on with Greg and Dean to the final destination in Fort Dodge.