Soap box derbies on a roll
Seventy years ago, in the depths of the Great Depression, a Dayton, Ohio, news photographer encountered three boys racing homemade, engine-less cars down an inclined brick street. He figured it would make a good photograph. He also figured it would be fun to organize a coasting race, so he told the boys to come back to the hill with their friends a week later to compete for what he called a "loving cup."
Nineteen boys showed up to vie for the prize. When a second race that summer drew 362 kids and more than 40,000 spectators, the idea for a nationwide race arose, and thus was born the Soap Box Derby. Today, the Soap Box Derby season runs from March through July in more than 150 cities and communities worldwide. Many are sponsored by Kiwanis clubs.
"Soap box derby racing was something I knew about as a kid growing up in Tucson, Arizona," says Dennis Wilkes of the La Mesa, California, Kiwanis club, "but I couldn't get my parents to support me in it because of a shortage of money, Things are different nowadays because of the support soap box derbies receive from groups such as Kiwanis.
"Or club decided to sponsor a local Soap Box Derby a couple of years ago because we wanted an activity that would be identified with our club, something that would prompt people to say they know the La Mesa Kiwanis club sponsors that," he adds. "And that's exactly what's happening. But more important, because this is a program that involves kids and their families working together to make it happen, it's all the better."
The reason for the derby's success, Dennis adds, is 100 percent support from the club and the city of La Mesa. "The city helps us by allowing our information to be
displayed on its Web site, by publishing information about the derby in its various publications and bulletins, and by closing down some of the city streets to allow our functions to take place."
The Kiwanis Club of Madison West, Wisconsin, took over the reins of the city's soap box derby in 1996. More than 50 Kiwanis volunteers are involved in staging the race.
"We have great races every year," says Kiwanian Denis Vogel, "with about 40 racers. The most difficult part about running the race is making sure we have all the kids ready to go on race day.
"The best part is seeing the faces of the kids the first time they go down the hill."
"We know we've got something special going on," says Mike Lowry of the Jensen Beach, Florida, Kiwanis club, which has staged its derby the past 10 years. "The benefits to our club, the community, and the participants are many. We bring our competitors in about a week before the event, and they build their cars together. They eat together and do things together, building a camaraderie that carries through the competition.
"The races are extremely competitive, but the participants support each other and encourage each other. It's something to see."
In addition to Jensen Beach, races in 18 other communities are sponsored by Kiwanis clubs, according to the All-American Soap Box Derby.
For more derby information, go here.
According to the All-American Soap Box Derby, the following communities' derbies are Kiwanis-sponsored:
Jensen Beach, Florida
Tullahoma, Tennessee
Wayne-Holmes County, Ohio
Medina, Ohio
Youngstown, Ohio
San Diego, California
La Mesa, California
La Canada, California
Roseville, Minnesota
McHenry, Illinois
Stockbridge, Georgia
Madison, Wisconsin
Indianapolis, Indiana
Haverhill, Massachusetts
Ft. Collins, Colorado
Flushing Meadows, New York
Lower Bucks, Pennsylvania
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Berlin, Connecticut
http://www.kiwanis.org/magazine/derby.asp[/url]
