By Adam Davis
The inaugural MINT Soapbox Derby fundraiser took place during the annual Whoopie Pie Festival in downtown Rutland on Saturday, Sept. 14. Starting at the intersection of Center and Court streets, costumed drivers and their elaborately decorated cars raced down Center hoping to avoid hay bales and traffic cones before finishing just past the intersection of Wales Street. Drivers were competing to win in four categories: fastest time, most creative car, epic fail, and judges’ choice. Spectators had the opportunity to participate and win prizes through early voting and winner predictions.
All of the proceeds from the fundraiser went towards The MINT.
The inaugural MINT Soap Box Derby fundraiser at the Whoopie Pie Festival in Rutland featured creative, locally sponsored cars, raised money for The MINT, and awarded winners in categories like fastest time, most creative car, and epic fail.
`Some of the soapbox cars included a gingerbread house, an outhouse, a shark, a log, a Foley Services wheelbarrow, a traditional box car, and a spooky set piece from the Weston Theater Company. Each of the cars was sponsored by local businesses or organizations, including: Wonderfeet Kids Museum/Killington Mountain Resort, Come Alive Outside/Heritage Family Credit Union, Rutland Regional Medical Center, Brown’s Auto Salvage, MFK Property Management, Maverick Construction, and Weston Theater Company. All of the soapbox cars were designed and built at The MINT on Quality Lane in Rutland. “We wanted to have a fundraiser that touched on all the aspects of what a makerspace is,” said Morgan Over, the director of operations at The MINT. “We welded the chassis at The MINT. We created the design, and then the teams from the community came in and added all kinds of accoutrement to their cars. A real maker challenge, essentially. All of the sponsors were local organizations that we had invited, but next year we’re going to open it up to the public.”
Winners of the derby included Foley Services’ wheelbarrow for the fastest time at 23.86 seconds, while the most creative award went to Maverick Construction for their gingerbread house. Weston Theater Company won the judges award for the eerie set piece promoting their upcoming play “The Woman in Black,” while the epic fail award went to the log car from Come Alive Outside.
“My brake pedal snapped, and then my steering wheel broke. So it was all downhill from there, literally. The hay bales saved the day,” said Rudy, the driver of the log car.
The MINT is a shared workshop that provides their members with access to tools, equipment, and technology that most people don’t have the space for, or couldn’t afford on their own. It is also a community with the opportunity to share knowledge, experience, and ideas. Members of The MINT include hobbyists, educators, students, entrepreneurs, non-profit, and for-profit companies.
For more information, visit rutlandmint.org or find them on Facebook.
By Polly Mikula
