Special needs children will get to challenge each other, and all will walk away with awards and fond memories from the 2002 Whidbey Island Challenge Series races Sept. 14 in Oak Harbor.
Organized by Sunrise Rotary Club of North Whidbey Island, the series of soapbox car races is sponsored by Whidbey Island businesses and private donors.
This year is the 10th anniversary of the races in Oak Harbor, and one volunteer says the kids have a wonderful time.
“I’ve had thank you cards back from some of these kids saying that this is the most fun they’ve ever had,” said Kit Maret, who has volunteered her time to the project for the past 10 years.
About two hours of racing will kickoff at 10 a.m. when the special needs kids man their vehicles, along with a volunteer youth co-drivers, to speed down Barrington Dr. City public works employees, volunteering their time, will close the street to normal traffic. Oak Harbor Police Department officers will be out in full force, aiming their radar detectors at the speeding mini race cars. A DJ from KWDB 1110 AM radio will provide race announcing, sportscaster-style.
An awards ceremony will take place immediately following the races, and all participants will receive an award medal and a t-shirt.
Puget Sound Energy began the races about 15 years ago, Maret said. When PSE decided to drop sponsorship of the races Sunrise Rotary club took over the task of organizing the annual event. Maret is an engineer at PSE, and the little race cars are provided by a former employee, Leo Finnegan, who was instrumental in originally starting the races.
Although the races no longer have the single corporate sponsor, Maret says that the North Whidbey Island business community is very generous in their support.
“We’re doing really well. We have a sponsorship program for anyone to sponsor a race,” Maret said.
All sponsorship money goes to pay for the costs of putting on the race for the special needs kids. If any money happens to be left over, the club puts it back into other community programs for kids, Maret said.
In return for sponsorship, sponsors will get a certificate suitable for framing that includes a picture of a race participant in a race car that bears a sign with the sponsor’s name.
How to be a race-day volunteer
Volunteers are needed to help the special needs children on race day. The event is a good community service project for youth groups. A Cub Scout troop has volunteered to be co-drivers for special needs racers, but more are welcome.
Anyone interested in volunteering can call Kit Maret at 279-4926 during business hours, or may show up beginning at 8 a.m. on race day, Sept. 14. The volunteer sign-in table will be located in Puget Sound Energy parking lot on Barrington Drive, near the post office.
The races are open to any special needs person under 120 pounds. The weight limit is due to the size of the race cars. Anyone interested in signing up a special needs child should contact Maret.
