PREPARATIONS UNDER WAY FOR SOAPBOX DERBY

A portion of North Sprigg Street will be temporarily converted into a speedway for gravity-operated vehicles when the Cape Girardeau Rotary Club sponsors its first soapbox derby Sept. 16.

A hilly portion of North Sprigg that runs in front of Barbara Blanchard Elementary School will become the raceway for at least 27 stock cars. Building clinics are planned for July 29 and Aug. 12 at St. Francis Medical Center to answer questions about the vehicles, which must be built by youths with adult assistance.

The cars will be driven by youngsters between 9 and 16. Each vehicle will weigh 200 pounds, including drivers and additional weights, if necessary, and will travel 1,500 to 2,000 feet to the finish line.

Dr. Dieter Jedan, Rotary's fund-raising committee chairman, said the event will provide fun for youths who might not participate in other sport activities. Preparation for and participation in the races promote goal setting and develop self-confidence, perseverance and construction skills.

"A lot of kids that are not good at baseball or football or swimming have no other outlets," Jedan said. "Here you don't need to be a good athlete, and it doesn't make a difference how the race goes."

According to the All-American Soap Box Derby Web site, Soap Box Derby races were the creation of Myron E. Scott, a newspaper photographer who watched three boys racing homemade, engine-less cars down a brick street in 1933. Scott invited the boys and their friends back the next week to race for a prize. Nineteen boys arrived for the race, and the soapbox derby was born. The cars of the day were built of orange crates, sheet tin, wagon and baby-buggy wheels, and at least one very likely was made from a soapbox.

Within a year Scott had copyrighted his idea and promoted a national race in Akron, Ohio, that was sponsored by Chevrolet. Numerous national sponsors now promote the All-American Derby, an international event to take place next month at Derby Downs in Akron.

Locally, races were held on Perryville Road next to Capaha Park in the 1930s and 1940s. An attempt by the Cape Girardeau Jaycees to resurrect the races years later failed.

St. Francis has agreed to sponsor the Rotary club's first year of races. In addition, the Rotary club hopes service clubs, churches and nonprofit organizations will become sponsors of the event.

This first year, youngsters will compete only in the stock division. There are three divisions in all that compete at the national finals. Local winners won't be eligible for the national championships until next summer because of the scheduling of the local event. However, Jedan said that should not take away from the competitiveness of the local races.

"Now we have an activity that's family oriented," he said. "It also stresses good sportsmanship. Win or lose, it doesn't make a big difference."

Helping Jedan to organize the races in Cape Girardeau are Rotary members Chap Arnold and Police Chief Rick Hetzel.

For more information or to become a sponsor, contact Jedan at 651-2478 or 334-4251. Sponsorships are used to raise money for youth events throughout the year.