Soapbox Derby

8/4/2019 Soapbox Derby

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,ALL-AMERICAN SOAP BOX DERBY******~********************P.O. BOX 7233 DERBY DOWNS, AKRON, OHIO 44306 (216) 733-8723

June, 1983, HartfordDear Fellow Jaycees:

WHY THE SOAP BOX DERBY NEEDS YOU!The All-American Soap Box Derby can truly be classified as a spectacle. The city of

Akron a sea of red, white and blue bunting and decorations. The cheers of the crowds and theroar of the sirens on Welcoming Day. The excitement of meeting stars from stage, screen andtelevision. The pageantry of the Derby parade winding its way through downtown. The anticipation in the eyes of the youngsters crouched in their racers. The thrill of the first heatleaving the starting line on its way down Derby Downs to the checkered flag. Yes, it is surelya spectacle, but it would be nothing without YOU and the thousands of other volunteers whodedicate their valuable time to see that local Soap Box Derby races are run fairly andefficiently.

Without YOU there would be no local Soap Box Derby programs, and without local Derbyprograms there would be no All-American.

As past president of the Akron Jaycees, I am proud that our organization stepped forwardin 1975 to help save the All-American Soap Box Derby when Chevrolet dropped its national sponsorship of the event. As a current member of the Derby's board of trustees, I'm even moreproud to see the great strides the program has made in the years since then. The Soap BoxDerby is a strong, viable community involvement program that caters to our nation's mostvaluable natural resource - our youngsters!

My most memorable Derby experience had nothing to do with any of the winners, but with ayoung man who typifies the Derby philosophy. It's been four or five years ago now, whenworking as a member of my chapter's manpower team, this youngster caught--my eye. He barelystood as tall as my belt buckle, and soaking wet he couldn't have weighed more than a largesack of potatoes. His t-shirt, stretched to more than double its original size, drooped fromfrom his bony shoulders and his eyes peered out from under a much too large baseball cap. Hewas kneeling next to "his" racer - which even the casual observer could denote wasn't amongthe cream of the crop at the track that day. Its edges were rough and poorly sanded, its paintjob reflected an old stiff brush and a can of whatever-was-left-on-the-shelf paint from thegarage.


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ZIP _

How can your club get started?First step in becoming a sponsor of a local Soap Box Derby program is to apply to AII

American Soap Box Derby headquarters in Akron for a race city agreement. Derbyofficials then review the geographic area to be covered by the proposed race to makecertain i t is not dupl icat ing another program's authorized boundar ies. Qual if icat ions ofthe potent ial sponsor ing group are studied to be sure it has the necessary exper ience,manpower and funding to conduct a local Derby event.Your group wil l be contacted by the All -Amer ican headquarters staf f or by avolunteer

regional Derby d irector to d iscuss the basic fundamentals of running a Derby program.You will receive a Derby director's handbook which features step-by-step details forrunning a successful local Derby program. The guide contains suggested promotionalcampaigns, including news releases and public service announcements. It outlines whatto discuss at construction clinics.After you have signed your race city agreement and contributed arace city donat ion for

insurance and some expenses related to your champion's All-American activities, you wil lreceive a quantity of official SoapBox Derby rule books for junior and senior competi tion.You also wil l receive informat ion on how to order Ki t Cars,wheel setsand other mater ialsand supplies.For more informat ion and an appl ica tion for arace city agreement, f ill in the form or callAll -Amer ican Soap Box Derby headquarters in Akron at (216)-733-8723. The Derby staf fand volunteers will be glad to discuss with you how your club or organization can getstarted making plans for staging a Soap Box Derby race in your community.

All-American Soap Box Derby789 Derby Downs DriveAkron, Ohio 44306

NAME _STREETCITYSTATECLUB/GROUPTELEPHONE: AREA CODE NUMBER (Daytime)

_________ (Evening)Please contact me concerning sponsorship of a Soap Box Derby program


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ALL-AMERICAN OPERATIONS ARE CONTROLLED BYOFFICIALS ON BRIDGE

Your club or organizationcan become a part of theAll-American Soap Box Derby

Your club or organization can become a part of the All-American Soap BoxDerby by sponsoring a Derby program in your local community. The rewards aremany, as youngsters from your area channel their talents and efforts into aworthwhile project. Along the way, they are learning the basic skills of workingwith tools and bui lding mater ials, aswel l asthe spiri t of keen competi tion. Theseare benefits that wi ll remain with these youngsters through adolescence and oninto their adult lives.

As you help to shape the l ivesof your community 's youth, your club is buildingan identity in your area as a group of concerned persons. Your dedication isrecognized as businesses and civic groups offer their support of your efforts.And, on Derby Day, when crowds turn out to watch the excitement of theseyoungsters racing their cars, your members can be proud of what they haveaccomplished to help make your community a good place to live.

How much does it cost?The cost of runn ing a S oap Box Derby program varie s f ro m one co mmu nity to an othe r

across the c ountry. There are s ome bas ic expenses enc ountered by al l l oc al race programs( insuranc e, travel and pri nt ing) , but other c os ts vary acc ordi ng to the s cale of the program.

An average local Derby project costs about $2,000 for such i tems as raci ng T-s hir ts andhel mets for part ic ipants , t rophies and savi ngs bonds for pri zes, poli ce s ec ur ity, printi ng ofs tati onery and newsl et ters , maili ng, insurance and rac e ci ty donat ion to the Al l-Am er ic anSo ap Bo x Derby organ ization. The local Derby spon so r also is respon sible for ship pin gchampionship racers to Akron and for transportation of the local champion to the AIIAmerican. Some local sponsors also provide travel expenses for the family of thech amp ion, as well as th e local Derby direct or.

So me Derby sponsors host a po st-race ban quet for all con testants, their families a ndlocal race officials. Others provide larger cash or scho larship prizes fo r winners. So meprogram spo nsors e ve n f ina nce trip s to th e All-American for all contestan ts in th e localDerby.

Fundi ng for a l oc al Derby comes from av ari ety of s ourc es . The s ponsori ng organiz at ionor business firm may choose to pay the entire cost. Other sponsors obtain financialassistance from other civic groups, saleof advertising in the Derby Day program, souvenirsand con cession s, dona tion s f rom local b usinesses and charities an d ind ivid ual entrantregistration fees.

To help the youngs ters defray costs of buil di ng cars , m any s pons ors li ne up i ndivi dualbusin esses o r grou ps to pu rcha se Kit Cars, w heel sets or b uilding mate rials.In addit ion to m onetary donat ions, l oc al s pons ors often obtain m anpower suppor t f rom

service clubs, as well as contributions of prizes, racing shirts, medical services and anum ber of other s ervi ces or merc handis e from bus ines ses and indiv iduals .RACERSARE LINED UP FOR TRIAL RUNS AT DERBY DOWNS


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merchandise prizes such aspower tools. Bythe afternoon's end, two new winners emergeto wear the traditional gold jackets signifying they are the champions of the senior andjunior divisions of the All-American Soap Box Derby.That evening, the champions, thei r famil ies and friends, Derby officials and business

and civ ic leaders gather atan Akron theatre to pay tribute to al l the contestants in the AIIAmerican Soap Box Derby and to present the awards to the winners. In Derby circles, allcontestants in the All-American Soap Box Derby are considered winners, because it isbel ieved they al l have enr iched thei r l ives great ly through the exper iences they have hadin Akron during Derby Week and the lessons they have learned while building their carsand racing them in local Derby programs back home.

How can your club get involved~Civic c lu bs, service organizat ions and other interested groups can become involved in

the "greatest amateur racing event in the world" by becoming a sponsor of a local SoapBox Derby program.Running a loca l Derby program takes a great dea l o f dedication. The rewards are many,

to the contestants, the volunteers and the community as a whole.A Derby program isnot a "one day event." Background work starts as much asayear in

advance. That's when the sponsoring group sets up the Derby committee, picks thevolunteers for the key posts and begins making preparations for the race.Your club plans its promotional and fund-raising programs. It begins schedul ing clinics

at schools and youth clubs to instruct interested youngsters in proper constructiontechniques for their racers. You line up your race committee, including inspectors,judges, track crews, service pit workers and f irst aid di rector. As race day approaches,publicity campaigns tell your community about the upcoming Derby parade and otherfest iv it ies. The Soap Box Derby becomes an EVENTin your town.On Derby Day, the youngsters are proud to show off the racers they have created with

their own efforts. Families and f riends cheer on their favorites as junior and/or seniord iv is ion winners are determined. And, then comes the chance of a l ifet ime for your localchampion ... a trip to Akron and the chance to compete in the All-American Soap BoxDerby!

What is the Soap Box Derby?The Soap Box Derby isa youth racing program which hasrun nationally since 1934.AIIAmerican Soap Box Derby f inals are held each August at Derby Downs in Akron, Ohio,

adjacent to the city's munic ipal ai rpor t.The idea of the Soap Box Derby grew out of a photographic assignment of Dayton,

Ohio, newsman Myron Scott. He covered a race of boy-buil t cars in h is home communi tyand was so impressed with the event that he acquired a copyright for the idea and begandevelopment of a similar program on a national scale.The f irst Al l-Amer ican race was held in Dayton in 1934. The following year, the race wasmoved to Akron because of its central location and hilly terrain. In 1936, Akron civic

leaders recognized the need for a permanent track site for the youth racing classic and,through the effor ts of the Works Progress Administrat ion (WPA), Derby Downs became areality.Eachyear since, with the exception of during World War II, youngsters from throughout

the Uni ted States and several foreign countries have come to Akron with the racers theyhave bui lt and dr iven to victory in thei r home communit ies. Over those four decades, thedesigns of the cars have evolved from real "soap box" racers to sleek and sophisticatedcars. Back then, youngsters worried about f inding four wheels to use on their cars, whi letoday 's contestants are concerned about styling aerodynamics of the ir entries.Today, there are two racing divisions in local and Al l-Amer ican Derby competit ion. In

the junior division, boys and girls 10 through 12 compete in Kit Cars purchased from theAll -American headquarters. These ki ts assist the Derby novice by providing ful l-scalepatterns and all hardware needed to build a basic "sit-up" style car. Introduced in 1976,the junior Ki t Car div is ion has proven popular in race communit ies across the country, asyoungsters are exposed to the Derby program for the first time.

JUNIOR DIVISION KIT CARS NEAR FINISH LINE


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SENIOR RACERS LEAVE STARTING GATE

Asboys and gi rls ga in bu ilding experience, they progress in to the senior d iv ision for 12through 15 year-olds. In this division, the cars are usually the more sophisticated andsleeker racers, often of the "lay-back" style. Seniors can build a car f rom scratch or theymay purchase a senior Kit Car, which also includes patterns and hardware.Twelve-year olds have the option of racing in either the junior or senior division,

depending on their experience and skills.The goals of the Soap Box Derby program have not changed since i t began in 1934.They

are to teach youngsters some of the basic sk ills of workmanship, the sp ir it of competit ionand the perseverance to cont inue a project once it has begun.

What happens in Akron?EACH CHAMPION GETS A RED CARPET WELCOME TO AKRON

Local champions from each of the junior and senior division Soap Box Derby racesthroughout the country come to Akron, Ohio, in August each year to compete forscho larships and merchandise pr izes in the All-Amer ican Soap Box Derby.The week these champions and their families spend in Akron isan unforgettable one.

Upon their arrival, each of the young champions iswhisked into downtown Akron with apol ice escor t. As the young boy or gir l ar rives at the site of the welcoming ceremonies, theDerby band strikes up a song and an announcer introduces the youngster to the crowd.After signing in on the official entry board, the champions leave for Derby town, aYMCAcamp south of Akron which is their home for the duration of Derby Week. Here, theyoungsters make great and lasting friendsh ips while relax ing, swimming, r id ing horses,par ticipating in a var iety of sports activ it ies and enjoying the natura l surroundings.As the week progresses, the young champions are reuni ted wi th the ir racers which have

been shipped from home. The cars are weighed and thoroughly inspected to makecertain they meet all the safety regulations. The champs get their first look at DerbyDowns, a 954-foot rac ing track designed specif ically for Soap Box Derby competit ion.Eachof the contestants gets a tria l run down the course to become famil ia r with the track.Celebr it ies from the sports and entertainment world come to Akron to v isi t the champs

at camp and to take part in parades and other Derby festivities.Parents and famil ies of the Derby champs, aswell as loca l Derby officials and fans who

vis it the All-Amer ican, also have a busy week. There are special enter tainment programsfor families and friends, while Derby officials attend meetings concerning rules andworkshops on how to improve their local racing programs.The week's festivities lead up to Derby Day when the anxious youngsters prime theirracers for a chance at the winner's circle. Race day activities kick off with a spectacular

track parade, followed by the traditional Oil Can Trophy Race in which celebritiescompete in oversized Derby cars.As in local competit ion, there are junior and senior d iv isions at the All-Amer ican. Senior

champs are racing for ashare of college scholarships, whi le the juniors are compet ing for

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Who runs the Soap Box Derby?The Derby youth program is administered by Internat ional Soap Box Derby, Inc., an

Akron-based non-prof it corporation. Operations of the corporation are conducted by aboard of t rustees and executive commit tee comprised of Akron area civic and businessleaders.Prime sponsor of the Derby is Novar Electronics Corporation of Barberton, Ohio. The

City of Akron, aswel l as local and nat ional business f irms and organizat ions, also providefunds and manpower for the Derby activities. I n addition, local race organizationscont ribute funds to support activities of their champions while in Akron.

Local race programs are sponsored by a variety of civic clubs, service organizations andbusiness firms. These groups establish their local Derby administrative and promotionalorganization to conduct the program wi th the All -Amer ican headquarters.Technical conduct of the Derby program is the responsibility of the national control

board, which sets the rules and provides interpretation and enforcement. Acting asliaisons between the All-American organization and the local Derby groups are thevolunteer reg ional Derby d irectors, who have been elected by local di rectors to assist incommunication and coordination.

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Soapbox Derby