The Cincinnati Beacon
Cincinnati Soap Box Derby Set for June 21
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Posted by Media Release
Mayor Mallory offers $5,000 award to winning neighborhood
Cincinnati – Mayor Mark Mallory officially announced today that the 2008 Cincinnati Soap Box Derby will be June 21 on Gilbert Avenue. As part of the derby, Mayor Mallory is sponsoring the second annual Mayor’s Cincinnati Cup as a competition among youth from Cincinnati’s neighborhoods. This year, the Mayor is offering a $5,000 grand prize to the neighborhood sponsoring the winner of the Mayor’s Cincinnati Cup.
“Soap Box Derby racing is a Cincinnati tradition,” Mayor Mallory said. “It brings together Cincinnati neighborhoods for a great, family friendly competition that builds neighborhood pride.”
The Cincinnati Soap Box Derby has two divisions: stock division for youth ages 8 to 13 and super-stock division for youth ages 10 to 17. The Mayor’s Cincinnati Cup is a competition for children ages 8-13 from the City of Cincinnati. Mayor Mallory is encouraging Cincinnati’s Community Councils to sponsor entries or to recruit local businesses, organizations, or individuals to sponsor neighborhood youth. Communities can have more than one entry. Competitors interested in representing their neighborhood should contact the Mayor’s office to be put in contact with their Community Council.
Soap box kits cost $430, plus $100 for wheels, $90 shipping, and a $50 registration fee for a total of $670. There is a workshop for participants on Saturday, April 20th at the BMW Store, 6131 Stewart Road in Silverton. The registration deadline is May 31st. To be eligible for the Mayor’s Cincinnati Cup Grand Prize, competitors must attend the April 20th workshop.
The grand prize will go to the Community Council that sponsors the winning entry. The funding comes from the Police Department Asset Forfeiture Fund and will be administered like Neighborhood Support Program funding that Community Councils receive from the city.
The Mayor was joined at the press conference by Doug Newberry, the Director of the Cincinnati Soap Box Derby, and representatives of several communities planning to compete in the Derby.
Soap Box Derby racing began in Dayton, Ohio with the first “All American Race” in 1934. Cincinnati held a Soap Derby Race every year until 1978. In 2006, Doug Newberry organized the first Cincinnati Soap Box Derby Race in 28 years. Last year, 10 year old Mark Mertes of Pleasant Ridge won the 1st Mayor’s Cup. The overall winner of the Cincinnati Soap Box Derby, Vince Sprague of Colerain Township, went on to win the National Derby Race in Akron, Ohio.
The Mayor’s press conference was held at the solar and wind powered Cincinnati Parks Department Administration Building in Eden Park, appropriate since Soap Box Derby cars are the ultimate “Green” zero-emission vehicle because they run on gravity.
For more information, contact Mark Manning in Mayor Mallory’s Office at 513-352-6297 or visit http://www.cincinnatisoapboxderby.com.
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