Soap Box heroes

The Cape Girardeau Rotary Club Soap Box Derby has had 10 years of thrills. As might be expected, there was an abundance of heroes at this year's race: Drivers of the cars they helped assemble. Adults who provided support. Rotarians who volunteered. Football players from Southeast Missouri State University who provided much-needed muscle. Generous sponsors.

This year's race featured a new event for Super Kids, using special two-seater cars and offering some mighty special youngsters an opportunity to experience the thrill of the ride.

Our favorite hero, though, is 14-year-old Robert Blessing of Friedheim, who entered the division for larger cars in the 2008 race but drove a smaller car when its driver's legs turned out to be too long. Blessing won with the traded car that year and went to the All-American Soap Box Derby in Akron, Ohio.

This year, Blessing offered to share a ride in one of the Super Kid cars and let Greg Swinney wear his champion's helmet from Akron. After the race, he gave the helmet to Swinney. "I wanted him to feel even more special," the young man said.

What a lesson for all of us. Thank you, Robert Blessing, for being a winner in so many ways.