Annual Soap Box Derby Sees Children Race for the Gold

Children racing soapbox cars.

Annual Soap Box Derby Sees Children Race for the Gold

Bowling Green’s Kiwanis Club Hosts Enthralling Event

The Kiwanis Club of Bowling Green hosted the All-American Soap Box Derby on a sunny Saturday morning at Phil Moore Park, marking the 26th year in a row that this thrilling event has taken place in Bowling Green. The event attracted a large gathering of eager children and their families, who painstakingly built the cars before racing them on the track.

The proceeds raised from the derby are directed towards various local children’s charities that the Kiwanis Club is deeply involved with.

Build, Rebuild, Race

“It comes in a kit, and there’s instructions to build the kit,” elaborated the chosen topside director for the event, Ron Cummings. He went on to explain that one of the unique features of this event is the life cycle of the cars.
“We’ve been here twenty-six years. We have gotten a lot of cars donated back to us after the kids use it, so we have a lot of cars that are pre-built. When a new kid gets involved, we make them tear it down to a certain point and then rebuild it. That’s part of the fun,” he said.

This ingenious practice not only gives new participants a hands-on experience of car assembly but also promotes the idea of recycling and reuse.

The Road to Championships

In an exciting development, it was announced that the Bowling Green event will crown two local champions, who will then have the opportunity to move forward to the world championship derby. The world championship will be held in Akron, Ohio this upcoming July. This exciting prospect has only served to heat up the competition as participants gear up to give it their all in hopes of making it to the world stage.

Evoking the Spirit of Community

The All-American Soap Box Derby not only provides a fun and competitive platform for children; it also brings together the community and reinforces its bonds. The event is a demonstration of what can be achieved through shared goals, teamwork, and friendly competition. This initiative by the Kiwanis Club of Bowling Green serves as an exceptional model for other communities to emulate and foster a similar spirit of unity and active engagement.