Dear Editor:
I would sincerely like to thank the Down Hill Derby Committee and volunteers for doing such an amazing job of this year’s June 11 derby.
This was our third year participating in the derby and this year in particular, I cannot say enough about how professional and organized this event was.
First off, I know that it takes many volunteers to run this type of event, but I never realized just how many volunteers where at the derby until you saw all of the orange volunteer shirts worn by the many volunteers. I would think there was almost one volunteer for each racer. It was really nice to be able to easily find a volunteer if you had a question or concern. I really felt like all the volunteers were enjoying themselves too and that both of my children were in very safe hands the entire day.
Kelsey Cross from Sunny 94 was the commentator and he was most entertaining and in my opinion, a great asset for this event.
The Fat Cat float was a welcomed addition to the day. Racers were asked to ride the float down the hill and toss candy to the spectators during intermission. What a great prelude to the upcoming Stampede parade.
The new timing system complete with the Christmas tree starting lights was another great addition to this race as the timing was precise and the racers were able to have a time printout of each race. The races took a little longer to run this year because the race lanes were reduced from three lanes to two lanes to accommodate the new system. With all the time put into this event, I consider the longer race day to be a tribute to all the volunteers as they have dedicated so much of their time for this day to be such a success that it would be a shame to have the day end any earlier. It was really nice to see all the racers and families stick around and watch the awards being handed out — another tribute to a job well done.
On another note, for those families that are considering participating in the derby but don’t necessarily have the means to build a car, you can purchase a frame from Alberta Flares for about $200 and offer a car building clinic too. The initial expenses may seem high, but once you have your car built, your only expense is your yearly entry fee.
Thanks to Chuck Burns who offered his time as a maintenance engineer. One of our race cars blew a bearing on heat 2. Thankfully I had 2 spare wheels with me and thankfully the Down Hill Derby Committee had the foresight to have an engineer available this year. We would have had to pull out of the race if it wasn’t for Mr. Burns — he really saved the day.
Overall, it was a great day for everyone. I encourage anyone to come out and enjoy this day. It is so much fun watching these brave kids race down the hill at speeds of up to 35 km/h. There is always a concession stand on site as well as washrooms.
This event is well deserving of many more spectators.
Thank you again to all the committee members and volunteers that made this day such a great success.
The Fleck Family