What is the All-American Soap Box Derby?

1. What is the All-American Soap Box Derby? • The All-American Soap Box Derby is a nonprofit corporation that allows boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 17 to build and race gravity-powered cars and earn the opportunity to attend the World Championships held in Akron, Ohio each summer. • Local races are held in more than 150 communities in 43 states and 3 foreign countries. • Established in 1934, a race has been held in Akron every year except during World War II. • Last year a record-high 500+champs competed for world titles in 7 divisions. • The Derby’s mission: To teach youngsters the basic skills of workmanship, the spirit of competition , and the perseverance to complete a project once it has been begun.

2. The Greater Columbus Area Soap Box Derby • A Youth event in Central Ohio since 1934. • We have our own dedicated track at Big Run Park! • Our Champs regularly place highly at Akron. • In addition to our local race in June, we also hold several regional rallies each year. • We need more children and will include a “Super Kids” race this year for handicapped children.

3. In the beginning . . . • In 1934, the Soap Box Derby was born. Innovation in design and construction were encouraged and rewarded. • It was a simpler time when boys and their fathers devoted evenings and weekends for many months to building a competitive racer for their local Soap Box Derby. • Entrants were supposed to do all the work themselves. Dad’s role was that of advisor. And the rules emphasized craftsmanship and good sportsmanship. • College scholarships and trophies were awarded to the top nine finishers. Chevrolet was a major sponsor and the program was on solid ground. • Then the Derby program was racked by a scandal in 1973 when the winner admitted to cheating and Chevrolet pulled out of the program. • With a tarnished image, participation and sponsorships dwindled in numbers for several years. And the Derby fell on lean times.

4. In the 1970’s changes began to occur . . . • The family structure began to change: Both parents now worked fulltime and the number of single parent families began to rise. • Time became a scarce commodity and parents often didn’t have the time or the energy to devote to a six month project like building a Soap Box Derby racer. • Children found they had more choices when it came to choosing activities to pursue. • Parents and kids didn’t want to invest 6 months to build a racer only to experience the “thrill of the hill” for a brief moment on a Saturday afternoon. • Society changed and the Soap Box Derby saw the need to change right along with it. • So they came up with a new idea: they decided to sell racer kits that came with all the needed parts and could be assembled in an afternoon or two.

5. The idea was really pretty simple: • All of the cars were of three designs. All were easy to build and there was no room for innovation. Parents & children were encouraged to assemble the kits together. • Three divisions were established: • Stock: for small children, ages 8 and up • Super Stock: for larger children ages 10 to 14; and, • Masters: for children at least 10 years old who generally had outgrown the other two divisions • Youngsters could compete in each division with the winners in each category qualifying to compete in the All-American Soap Box Derby in Akron as representatives of their local communities.

6. Or, entrants could choose a different path: • They could elect to participate in Rallies held each weekend throughout the country and earn points based on how high they placed. Those with enough points would qualify and represent their Rally regions as Champions at the AASBD race. • But, regardless of the chosen path, the format of today’s Soap Box Derby program is that anyone who can afford the price of a kit can end up with an entry that is extremely competitive “right out of the box” !

7. Who we are . . . • The Greater Columbus Area Soap Box Derby, Inc. is a non-profit youth organization that was founded in 1975. • Our purpose is to organize, promote, and conduct an annual race whose winners will qualify to represent Columbus, Ohio in the All-American Soap Box Derby which is held each summer in Akron, Ohio. • The goal of our program is to teach and develop the qualities of good sportsmanship, a competitive spirit and the mechanical skills necessary to construct and race a Soap Box Derby racer. • More information about us can be found at our website: www.columbussoapboxderby.com

9. Our organization’s dream is to make the Soap Box Derby experience available to as many Central Ohio youth as possible. • But for our organization to have the greatest impact on our youth we need ongoing financial support and manpower assistance to realize our dream. • The cost of conducting a top quality program will be between $3,000 and $5,000 this year. This will let us pay our franchise fees, cover our insurance costs, furnish awards to our kids and conduct a first class community event. • So we are seeking key sponsors and we believe that the benefits to those who partner with us will far outweigh their costs.

10. But you can also help us in another way: • Why not sponsor a car and mentor a child? • Choose a child from your membership or help a disadvantaged child to experience the ‘thrill of the hill’ on race day!

11. The cost of a kit is about $500.00 • Racers can be assembled in a couple of afternoons. • Rules change little from year to year so you can pass the car down to a different child next year. • Choose a worthy child through an essay contest at a local school. • The winner gets help from your club in assembling the racer. • Your group cheers on your child at the Derby

13. As a sponsor your organization will enjoy the following benefits locally: • The opportunity to link your organization’s name with a family event that is as All-American as “Mom”, “apple pie” and the “4th of July”! • As we build the numbers of participants in our local race and our rally programs, entrants and their parents will come to recognize the value that your organization places on making a difference for the youth of Central Ohio. • The time or money you invest in helping us to promote our program will permit disadvantaged youth to experience the thrill of the “Derby Experience” by bringing the cost of competition within their reach. • Today’s entrants will one day be tomorrow’s consumers and the goodwill generated by your firm’s participation as a key sponsor may benefit your bottom line for many years to come. • Your organization’s members will have the opportunity to have some fun and relive a part of their youth !

16. Key sponsors will also enjoy these broader benefits • Race week in Akron lets you showcase your group’s image to • thousands of people who will visit the track, watch the race in • person or on TV, read newspaper articles in the Akron Beacon Journal • and see TV news coverage of the event. • As a sponsor, your name will appear prominently on the sides of our • Champions’ cars. • Your sponsorship will occupy a place of prominence on our website. • You’ll be able to help our youth to achieve a dream that lets others see • what can be accomplished when committed people with vision pool • their talents and work together toward a common goal. • Your associates and their families can have some fun and relive a • part of their youth !

18. 2009 Derby Dates • April 4th – “Derby Fools Day” Our track will be open for testing for experienced drivers and rookies. We’ll have loaner cars available at the track for kids and parents to drive. • April 19th & 20th – “Columbus Spring Rally” An AASBD sanctioned rally. Open to any boy or girl ages 8 to 17. • April – May “Rally Racing” AASBD rallies occur just about every weekend within easy driving distance. Rally racing occurs in Akron, Cleveland, Lancaster, and Charleston, WV. Go to www.aasbd.com for the rally race schedule. • June 20th – “Columbus Local Race” Winners go to the All-American race in Akron! • July 25th – “All-American Race” The All-American race in Akron Ohio!

19. Derby Fools Day: Saturday, 04/04/09 On April 4th Come Relive Your Youth with our Rent-A-Racer program

20. The Greater Columbus Area Soap Box Derby is seeking key sponsors to help us achieve our goals. • Platinum: $ 5,000: You will be the featured sponsor of our race with your group’s logo being prominently displayed on our Champions’ racers in large letters on both sides of the cars. Your organization’s logo will be featured on our website. You will have a commanding presence in all of our promotional materials. • Gold: $ 4,000: Gold sponsors will have their name displayed on both sides of the racers in smaller letters and will also share a strong presence on our website. • Silver: $ 3,000: Silver sponsors will be recognized with decals on both sides of the racers and will be involved to a lesser extent with local promotion of our organizational events.

21. Other sponsorship options abound: • Bronze: $1,000: your organization’s name appears on our kids’ T-shirts and you get a full page ad in our “Official Race Day Program”. • Red: $ 500: We’ll purchase a kit for one of our disadvantaged kids to build and race. Your name appears on the racer each year. • White : $ 250 gets you a quarter page ad in our “Official Race Day Program”. • Blue : $ 100 gets you a business card ad in our “Official race Day Program”. What level of sponsorship works best for you?

22. Together we can make a difference for the youth of Central Ohio • For more information, contact: Paul Workmaster • by email: pworkmaster7336@wowway.com • by phone: 614-397-0591 • www.ColumbusSoapBoxDerby.com