Traffic on First Avenue, may be closed on Saturday, Aug. 3, but the rubber will still be hitting the road.
Kicking off the annual Ladysmith Days Celebration will be some pretty hot and fast carts competing for a number of championships when the Kinsmen Soap Box Derby takes off at 10 a.m.
The club has been putting on the fun family event for five years and it’s proven to be a big success for spectators and the youngsters competing. The event is open to young racers from the ages of six to 12 (with parental approval) and the Kinsmen anticipate there will probably be in the neighbourhood of 50 participants. There is no cost for those wanting to participate and the club has carts so that it makes an even racing field all the way around.
“It’s kinda like a free for all with the fastest eight times going into the quarter finals, and then working its way down from there," said club president Chad Walsh.
Walsh said it takes a lot of work and pre-race planning and set-up “so it’s taken all the guys to get it put together and the day of the race we are maxed out,” he said. “Safety of the racers and spectators is foremost and that takes a lot of eyes and we will be lining the street, on both sides, with tires in case there are any runaways."
The club will need a few time keepers, as well as a couple of bodies with trucks to get the carts back from the finish line so they can be used in upcoming races and of course getting all the tires lined up on First Avenue before the start and then taken away at the end.
This year there will be a special treat for racers and spectators as wrestlers from VI Wrestling will be at the finish line of the derby to catch any of the carts that get carried away. In between races this will give fans an opportunity to get autographs and pictures with their favourite wrestlers.
“There will be a fantastic wrestling show at 5:15 p.m. on Saturday at the Amphitheatre so the fans will have lots of action all day long," Walsh said. “It’s a lot of fun and attracts a lot of people downtown to kick-off celebrations and our members are proud to do it, but it also takes help from the outside. Anyone who is interested can surely call me at 250-302-9397 or let any Kinsmen member know.”
Folks interested in registering for the soap box derby can email ladysmithsoapboxderby@gmail.com
As well as the soap box derby downtown on Saturday there will be a skate board demonstration at 10 a.m. hosted by Four-One-One. More information about the whole Ladysmith Days weekend can be found at www.ladysmithdays.com
