The “Wind Up” and “Double Play” make their debuts Friday, double-decker carousel on-deck
DAVENPORT, Iowa – After already adding the Genesis Kidz Koaster earlier this season, the Quad Cities River Bandits continue to improve upon the many entertainment options at Modern Woodmen Park with the introduction of two brand new amusement rides, the “Wind Up” and “Double Play,” at the Friendliest Ballpark in America.
River Bandits owners Dave Heller and Roby Smith, Davenport Mayor Frank Klipsch and the Trustee of the Bechtel Trusts, Richard Bittner, were on-hand to officially open the rides at a press conference Friday. The trio also announced the creation of a new 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation called the “Carousel Charitable Trust” to donate every single dollar of profit made by the new rides back to help local, underprivileged children in the Quad Cities. And the group introduced the double-decker carousel, which will open Tuesday, June 13.
Two of the three rides, the “Wind Up” and “Double Play,” are brand new and come from Italy. They were manufactured for Modern Woodmen Park by SBF Visa. The carousel was purchased from Pier 39 in San Francisco and stripped down and lovingly renovated by the River Bandits. The three rides are valued at $1.4 million and were purchased by the Carousel Charitable Trust with a $1 million investment by The Bechtel Trusts.
The River Bandits have been at the forefront of affordable family entertainment in the Quad Cities since Heller took ownership of the team a decade ago. Year after year, the team has improved historic Modern Woodmen Park, three times earning Ballpark Digest’s Best Ballpark Improvement award as well as earning the title “best Minor League Ballpark in America” from USA Today and 10Best.com. The team has a long history of charitable giving, having donated more than $1 million to the Quad Cities community over the past five years and increasing opportunities for hard-working Quad Citizens to make life-long memories throughout the summer.
“The River Bandits are all about helping families create lasting memories while enjoying first-rate baseball,” said Heller. “Now, thanks to the work of Mayor Klipsch and the generosity of Dick Bittner and the Bechtel Trust, we will offer even more family entertainment options for kids of all ages and, at the same time, raise money to help local children in need. That’s what we call a win-win.” Heller added, “I’d like to thank Mayor Klipsch, Mr. Bittner, the City of Davenport and the people of the Quad Cities for sharing in our vision and making this incredible group of rides possible. Since we opened our Ferris wheel three years ago, this community has supported our team in record numbers. It’s wonderful that we can offer even more fun rides and more family-friendly entertainment options for the people of this great community."
Richard Bittner and The Bechtel Trusts have a long history of working with area charities and causes to benefit the Quad Cities community. The trusts have worked tirelessly with the Scott County Family Y and other nonprofit organizations which aim at bettering the area and, more specifically, helping underprivileged children. Mr. Bittner worked with Heller to create the new nonprofit entity called the “Carousel Charitable Trust” to ensure local, underprivileged children are the beneficiaries of the new rides.
“This is an outstanding time in the renewal of our downtown Davenport community. The downtown ‘people traffic’ that we lost with the opening of suburban shopping malls have now found that a trip to downtown, particularly our ‘young kids’ and many of our ‘old kids’ is much more exciting than just another shopping trip,” said Bittner. “The River Bandits, the Ferris wheel and the added double decker carousel - that found its way to the shores of the Mississippi all the way from Pier 39 in San Francisco Bay - as well as the new and exciting “Wind Up” and “Double Play” rides that send the passengers upside-down and back-and-forth and on 360-degree spins provide a lively addition to the downtown area. We bet that our ‘young kids’ will be entertained and that they will drag the ‘old kids’ back time and time again to downtown Davenport. Thanks to all of those, including Mayor Klipsch, Dave Heller and the River Bandits for their efforts in providing this downtown entertainment excitement."
“This is another great addition to downtown Davenport. It’s really a destination point for the city. Not only do kids want to come for the baseball, they want to stay the whole night,” said Mayor Klipsch. “As a father and grandfather of ten kids, my kids and grandkids say, ‘come on, let’s go. Take us to a game, grandpa.’ Families come here not just for baseball, but for a family event, so we’re excited to have this here. There have been so many great additions to Modern Woodmen Park, and that’s why this is the number one ballpark in America."
The “Wind Up” sends eight riders on a thrilling, sometimes even upside-down, voyage as riders swing back and forth and also spin around 360 degrees. The Wind Up will operate at two speeds: a mild ride, which swings from 9 o’clock to 3 o’clock, and a wild ride that takes riders on repeated 360-degree spins.
The “Double Play” sends 12 riders on a topsy-turvy journey as the ride spins around in two directions, moving forwards and backwards while tilting first at a 45-degree angle and, ultimately, a 90-degree angle.
The spectacular hand-painted double-decker Venetian Carousel comes to Modern Woodmen Park from San Francisco, where it thrilled millions on Pier 39. The Carousel, which is the only double-decker merry-go-round in the state of Iowa, features various horses and sea creatures along with two spinning tea cups, benches, and an ADA-accessible wheelchair seat, providing timeless thrills to children of all ages.
All three new rides are located on the new left field concourse and will be open during all home River Bandits games, weather permitting, as well as Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout the summer. Prices for individual rides vary and guests can purchase all-you-can-ride passes for as little as $20 (group passes start at just $15). For more information on the new and returning rides, including non-gameday hours, prices and more, visit riverbandits.com and click on “Amusements” under the Modern Woodmen Park tab. Tickets to River Bandits games are required to ride the amusements on game days. For ticket information, visit riverbandits.com/tickets or call (563) 324-3000.
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ABOUT THE BANDITS: The 2017 season marks the River Bandits’ fifth year as the Class-A affiliate of the Houston Astros and the tenth anniversary season of regaining the River Bandits moniker, which was voted a top-8 nickname in all of Minor League Baseball in 2015. The River Bandits anchor the Quad Cities sports market, which The Sports Business Journal named the top minor league sports market in the country in its most recent rankings. Each year the River Bandits donate three annual all-tuition-paid college scholarships, a value of more than $75,000, as part of the Bandit Scholars Program, which has been in place since 2009. Charitable contributions surpassed $300,000 in 2016, including a $50,000 cash donation to Genesis hospital for the third consecutive season; in 2015, Ballpark Digest awarded the Bandits its “Best Charity Campaign” of the year. For more information on the Quad Cities River Bandits, visit www.riverbandits.com or contact Jake Levy at (563) 505-7592.
