THUNDER BAY - Kids and adults of all ages were tearing up the track with remote cars, while also helping make this holiday season a little brighter for kids in the city.
Last weekend, members of the Lakehead Radio Control Car Club hosted its fourth annual Toys for Tots Fundraiser Race at their indoor track in the Eaton’s Building basement.
Club vice-presdient Ben Reilly said the two-day invitational event increases entry fees for competitors and all proceeds go towards the Thunder Bay Professional Firefighters' Association charitable project, Toys for Tots.
“In the last four years we have raised anywhere between $850 and $1,000 going towards Toys for Tots,” Reilly said. “We would like to beat our goal of $1,000 if possible. We will have to see how the day pans out.”
Members of the Thunder Bay Professional Firefighters' Association also participated in their own race, and Reilly said it’s always a highlight for the weekend.
“This is the second year for the firefighters' race and last year they had a ball,” he said. “We had lots of people come down to see it, cars were crashing and smashing and banging, but they had a really good time and they were really excited to come back and give it a go.”
Reilly added the annual fundraising event is a great way to raise money for kids during the holidays and also helps generate interest in remote-control racing.
“We get a lot of people start coming through the doors,” he said. “We get a few people interested in coming out and there’s been a couple of occasions where we’ve actually gained new members because they have been to an event like the one here today.”
It seems that just seeing the miniature cars peel around corners at dizzying speeds is enough to get someone hooked. Amy Harvey and her daughter, Taiya, saw the club racing at the outdoor track on Cumberland Street and fell in love with the sport.
“We got caught up in the enthusiasm,” Amy said. “It’s a really fun sport to get into.”
“I really like racing,” Taiya added. “It’s really fun because the cars go really fast. Everybody here is nice and if you need a part for your car everybody just finds one for you.”
While the cars flying around the track and the enthusiasm of the races might have drawn Amy and Taiya to the sport, it’s the family-like atmosphere that keeps them feeling welcomed every time they participate.
“Everybody helps out everybody,” Amy said. “If you have a broken part, all the sudden, boom, everybody is helping out everybody. It’s so family orientated and we needed that. We needed something that’s great fun and I love it.”
Amy added that she is so pleased to see that helping attitude extend beyond the RC community and reaching out to help kids in need.
“It’s fabulous,” she said. “We are doing something that’s fun and we are doing something that’s good for the kids. Everyone’s going to have a beautiful Christmas somehow, some way.”
