INNISFAIL – Cemetery Hill will once again be the scene of dozens of racers.
No car will be powered and all drivers will depend on gravity, strategy, and a little bit of luck.
The fourth annual Innisfail Soap Box Derby will be held July 27, and dozens of racers from four different age groups are vying to claim a ribbon and trophy for being the fastest to navigate down Cemetery Hill.
The event is once again being hosted by the Innisfail Lions Club, in partnership with the Innisfail Kinsmen and Rotary Club of Innisfail.
After the course is set up in the early morning, registration begins at 9 a.m. with the event starting at 10 a.m. and running until 2 p.m. The cost is $20 for participants in all four age groups.
And any participant who wants to build their own he or she must do it with a GoKit, which is recognized for its durability and safety.
“Everybody has the same standardized running gear for the car, the same kind of wheels,” said Tom Reinhart of the Innisfail Lions Club. “We have sponsored cars for people that can't build their own car.”
He said the cost of a GoKit is $80 and can be ordered and picked up in the office at Innisfail’s Anthony Henday Campground.
“You can order them from Manitoba yourself if you want but you'll pay more because we buy them in boxes of six, so we get a discount and then we sell them at our cost,” said Reinhart.
In the meantime, Reinhart and other members of his service club are extra excited for this year’s Soapbox Derby as both the Innisfail Kinsmen and Rotary Club of Innisfail are all in to help with the event.
While the local lions club is organizing and developing the event members of Reinhart’s service club are getting older and having challenges getting new members.
“So now the other service clubs are pitching in to make this work,” said Reinhart, adding the Kinsmen will have volunteers overseeing the event’s strategic locations. “Rotary is doing the barbecue. They're also going to be there with hands on with the race itself.
“It’s exciting one when all the service clubs get together and get involved,” he added. “The Kinsmen and Rotary have been involved since the first year with breakfast and barbecues.”
For more information on this year’s Soapbox Derby call Reinhart at 403-358-8135.
