The Marietta Kiwanis Club hosted the ninth annual Marietta Soap Box Derby on Saturday at the Marietta High School.

The Race

The Marietta Kiwanis Club has been hosting the Marietta Soap Box Derby locally since 2004. The races bring friends, families, new participants and visitors as well as local business sponsors together to share in the love of this historic sport.

For two days, racers and others braved the heat to participate. The derby requires the use of real life skills of team work, perseverance, love of country and community as well as listening to others and learning to play by the rules.

The Kiwanis Club thanked the local business sponsors for their financial backing and the young sports players of Life University for their time given and strong backs to keep the race flowing by moving vehicles and helping to prepare them for the next race.

History

Soap Box Derby was made popular in the United States in 1914 through the character "Little Tramp" that Charlie Chaplin brought to life through the American-made film Kids Auto Races at Venice.

The Marietta Kiwanis Club formed in 1930. "Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time."

Visit All American Soap Box Derby and Derby Nation to find more information on how your child age 7-17 can become a racer.

Keep up with all the news you care about by subscribing to our free email newsletter, liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter.