Racing vehicles will hurtle down a hill near the Old City Quarter area this weekend, all in benefit of Nanaimo Child Development Centre.
The Hub City Soap Box Derby begins 10 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 18, and while racers traversed Fitzwilliam Street in past years, the derby has been relocated to Franklyn Street this year.
"The city asked if we would move it over one street, just because Fitzwilliam is the main drag for fire and ambulance, so we moved it over one street, and then it is more of a hill, so the … carts will have more of a go," said Kathryn Scott, event coordinator.
There is a kids' division for the youngsters and big kids' (corporate) division for adults and businesses. While there are no more spots for children, there are six spots still available for the older crowd, said Scott. In addition, the area where carts are situated has moved to Robson Street to allow for a concession area on Wesley Street with hotdogs and pizza.
"This year we have extra precautions because it is a little bit steeper," Scott said. "The go-kart track up in Parksville is lending us a bunch of barricades … we also have the street fair. We have people coming out, setting up tents, and there'll be 10 vendors that are going to come out. We also have the dunk tank and sno-cones."
The top racers will be rewarded for their efforts with trophies, goodie bags and more.
More volunteers are sought to help out and anyone who is interested can contact Scott at hubcitysoapbox@gmail.com. For more information, visit http://soapboxnanaimo.com.