It's been 46 years since Prince George has heard the rumble of soapbox derby cars speeding down a hill but the wait is finally over.
Maychild Media has partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS PG) to present the Prince George Soapbox Car Derby on Saturday, Aug. 3, on Victoria Hill.
There's already 21 racers registered and there's prizes for speed and creativity to be won.
Sue Pokiak of Maychild Media reached out to the Big Brothers Big Sisters non-profit, that was able to get a My Prince George grant for $2,000 offered by the city to help offset costs. Proceeds from the event will go toward mentoring programs.
"It's shaping up to be a really fun time," Jane Gauthier of BBBS PG said.
Most of the participants are about 12 years old with some adults participating as well. There will be time trials and racing heats organized by age.
The partnership sees Maychild in charge of permits, insurance and the logistics of the event, while BBBS PG took on lining up volunteers and organizing the barbecue, which will be set up with children's activities like a bouncy castle and face painting and there will be a cupcake vendor on site at Diefenbaker Park at the bottom of Victoria Hill. That's where spectators can watch the action from the comfort of their own chairs.
The idea started from basic need, said Pokiak.
"I'm a single mom of six kids and there's not a lot for low income families to do with their kids around town," she said. "We were watching the little rascals one night where they were racing their derby cars on the streets and I thought that would be perfect for my kids to do. It would get them away from the TV, get us together building derby cars and raising community spirit together so I just thought it would be a great event to boost people's morale."
Pokiak thought somebody should be hosting this event and then looked inward.
"I thought 'they should do it' and then I realized there's no 'they' - I am 'they' and then I thought I'll do it, sure why not?" Pokiak explained.
When she started to look into what it was going to take she realized she needed help creating a city event for the first time.
"I asked Big Brothers Big Sisters and they got onboard and it's been taking off," Pokiak said. "It's a lot bigger that I ever imagined it could be. I just wanted cars to race down a hill but a lot of people seemed to have embraced the idea and it's an historical thing in Prince George."
She did the research to discover a soapbox car derby was held each year from 1950 to 1973.
"The more I got into it the more people have reached out to me and told me about their experiences as a child racing derby cars," she said. "I even had one man take me over to the green belt by the hospital where the overpass is and you can still see the remnants of the old track that used to be there. It's fascinating to me."
The event starts at 10 a.m., barbecue at 11 and the races start at noon. The event will continue until 3 p.m. It's free for spectators and BBBS PG will host the barbecue as part of the fundraising effort.
