Cape First Church to host annual Family Day on Aug. 9; 7,000 people expected

Cape First Church's largest annual outreach opportunity -- Family Day -- will involve 20 demolition derby cars and 3,200 hot dogs and sodas.

The free-to-attend event is set for 5:30 p.m. on August 9 at Arena Park. The demolition derby begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Arena Park grandstand.

The event was canceled last year due to excessive rain. Cape First Church communications director David Urzi said efforts were made to reschedule, but it was too close to the start of the SEMO District Fair to reserve a new date.

"We do not want to cancel it again. It really hurt canceling it last year," he said.

"It's all a packaged deal," he added. "Our goal is to provide a night for everybody in the community to come together and have a good time for free."

And with more people attending each year, Urzi said the idea is to "keep it fresh" with new ideas, more food and making way for additional evening events.

Urzi expects between 7,000 and 8,000 to attend.

Demolition derby coordinator and previous competitor Jess Short said planning begins about six months in advance of the derby, to allow drivers plenty of time to prepare their cars.

Short said during that time he contacts drivers -- within a 100-mile radius -- and tries to get a feel for who can compete.

He said about half of the drivers are either returning or veteran drivers, with the other half newcomers to the competition. A $1,000 purse will be awarded to the winner, with second to fifth place payouts also given.

Since the demolition derby began in 2008, Short said the event has grown from having just "five or six" cars and attendance numbers near 1,000.

"We just found a unique opportunity within the church to reach out to some of the community that we typically couldn't reach out to through events held at the church," Short said, adding, "I think we've pretty much reached a point where we're at capacity for the venue."

Organziers are planning mini golf, corn hole and one new addition, a 20-foot-by-40-foot "ministry tent" stationed next to the Arena Building.

"That'll be where you can come and receive prayer, talk to a pastor and get resources," Urzi said, emphasizing the church's main focus of providing tangible services to those in need.

KHIS Radio also will be broadcasting live on-site.

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