Funny little known fact: I was the soap box derby champion of Saskatchewan in 1992. I was eleven years old and for a brief moment in time, I was on top of the world. In the 1990’s soap box racing was a big deal in Saskatchewan. TSN covered some races, the prizes were big (I won a bicycle), some cars were designed by university engineering departments and sponsored by Coca-Cola. My car was sponsored by a plumbing company and was painted lime green, it was ‘rad’ (that’s how we talked when we were trying to be cool). My dad designed it and built it in our basement over one winter. I was so proud.
Soap Box cars are simply made of wood and and some steering hardware and race side-by-side down a hill. Of course Saskatchewan did not have many hills, so the joke was on us. But it grew to be quite something. Kids would come together from all over the province and we would enjoy meeting up, sharing stories, and testing our skills against each other. It was all about the kids. Parents would mingle and tinker on the cars, but for us kids we thought we were in the Big Time. We were proud of our little trophy collections and we each had our eyes on beating the fastest drivers.
Several years ago Lake Ridge Community Church began resurrecting the soap box derby here in Chestermere. It began and continues with a simple idea: we’re creating something special for the kids. Together with parents and friends, kids come together to build cars, modify them, paint them up, and race them. I’ve been to these build days and it is amazing to watch how the kids pour their creativity into each car. They learn how to screw on a bolt, hammer a nail, and adjust the steering. It takes patience and care. In the end they stand beside their car with pride.
Race day is even better as we turn the only hill in Chestermere into a full-on speedway. We have a two-storey high inflatable tire from Tire Craft to mark the finish line, there’s music, professional time-keepers, a pit crew doing repairs, photographers, announcers doing colour commentary, and a big ramp at the starting line to launch the kids down the race-track with gusto. It’s over the top for one reason, we think neighbourhood kids should have these kinds of memories.
When neighbours line the street of Rainbow Falls Link to cheer on the cars, and when the police come with radar guns to ‘pull over’ speeders, there’s something special that happens to our community. We realize that all the effort we put into these events is worth it. We see that a neighbourhood is more than houses and cars, but about coming together to create memories and to give our place a story. Our community becomes special to us.
Chestermere’s 3rd Annual Soap Box Derby is coming up soon and your family can be a part of the memory-making. We’re building cars again this year on September 13th, and then having our big race day on September 24th. There are many ways you can make this neighbourhood event your own; whether you come to cheer on the kids, sponsor a prize or car, or build a car and race it as a family, remember that the very best neighbourhoods never forget that it’s all about the kids. To learn more, visit lakeridgecommunity.com
