The inaugural Jersey Soap Box Challenge will entice the best daredevils in the Island to try their hand at designing and building racing vehicles.
Fuelled by nothing but courage, contestants will be judged in time trials. There will be prizes for the best performance, best clothing and vehicle theme, as well as an award for the most stylish run.
Schools, businesses, community groups, sports teams, and groups of friends, who all share a wacky enthusiasm to build and race their own soap boxes, have already shown a keen interest in taking part.
All proceeds from the Jersey Soap Box Challenge will go to Jersey Hospice Care. The funds raised will be used by the charity to provide free specialist palliative care to anyone in the Island with a life-limiting condition and support for their families.
The event takes place on Sunday 27 May. The races start at the top of the Glacis Field Road (in front of the old Fort Regent Swimming Pool) and travels onto the main hill past the Mount Bingham swings and a final run down past the States of Jersey Planning and Building Services office on South Hill.
Practice runs will be held between 9.30 am and 12.30 pm before competition runs are held from 1.30 pm until 5 pm.
Steve Royle of the Jersey International Motoring Festival said: ‘We are delighted to be hosting the first Soap Box Challenge in Jersey. If you’ve ever watched the Red Bull Soap Box racing on the TV, you’ll know that we are in for a fantastic, entertaining day.
‘Thanks to generous sponsorship by RUBiS Channel Islands (Fuel Supplies CI Ltd) and Prosperity 24.7, proceeds from the event will go directly to Jersey Hospice Care.
‘We would like to encourage friends and family to come along and support this event. There will be no entry charge, so it’s a fabulous chance to come along and enjoy this fun-filled downhill challenge. As well as the thrilling races, there will be food and drink stalls on site too.’
Nick Crolla, head of sales and marketing at RUBiS, said: ‘We are delighted to be involved in this event. Having sponsored the Guernsey Soap Box Challenge since its inception two years ago, it has quickly grown in popularity and size. We feel sure it will be an entertaining spectacle – a breathtaking display of skill, passion and nerves – to be enjoyed by all the family. We wish all competitors the very best of luck.’
Chris Clark, co-founder and chief executive of Prosperity 24.7 added: ‘When the opportunity arose to support this incredibly entertaining event, which highlights people’s engineering, design and innovation skills, it was a natural fit for Prosperity 24.7 to support this great day and of course our broader community, with Jersey Hospice Care benefitting from all funds raised.’
On behalf of Jersey Hospice Care, Steven Hunt, chairman of fundraising, said: ‘We are incredibly grateful to the Jersey International Motoring Festival for choosing Jersey Hospice Care to be the beneficiary of the inaugural Soap Box Challenge, and to the event sponsors, Rubis and Prosperity 24.7, for allowing all the money raised to come directly to Jersey Hospice Care.’
For more information on the Jersey Soap Box Challenge, contact Steve Royle on 07797 828928 or email sales@jimf.je.
