News
VivaPop All-American Soap Box Derby presented By Miller Motorcars raced down Greenwich Avenue
By Press Release
Sep 25, 2008 - 12:07 PM

At 8 a.m., Sunday, Sept. 14, 24 children took off down Greenwich Avenue in their colorful cars in the VivaPop All-American Soap Box Derby Presented by Miller Motorcars, marking the return of the soap box derby to Greenwich after 23 years. The derby, which benefited the United Way of Greenwich in celebration of its 75th anniversary, was a morning of fun for the young drivers, the United Way charity partners they represented, families and the community.

By 9 a.m., the sun broke through the clouds in time for Peter Tesei, First Selectman, to welcome Elizabeth Tarbell, Founder and CEO of VivaPop, an online publishing service in Greenwich, and title sponsor of the event, and Stuart Adelberg, President of the United Way of Greenwich. Virginia Ogden, seventh-grader at Greenwich Country Day School, sang the National Anthem. She then joined Tesei, Adelberg and Tarbell in a Rolls-Royce Convertible driven by Michael Parchment, General Manager of Miller Motorcars, presenting sponsor, down the race course, from Havemeyer Place to Fawcett Place.

The derby continued throughout the morning as crowds lined the avenue, cheering on the drivers. From infants to grandparents, generations of families turned out with posters and signs, and some like Sean Thomalen’s mother, Cathy Landy, distributed buttons with her son’s picture. The enthusiasm must have helped as Sean, who represented the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, sponsored by Griffith E. Harris Insurance, took second place. Will Jeffery, representing Kids in Crisis, sponsored by Nestlé Waters, North America, placed first. Shamiek Tomoney, representing Community Centers, Inc., sponsored by J & B Body Works, claimed third. For all the drivers, the derby was an event they will always remember.

“From building their cars in our Ferrari Service Center in August, to the events leading up to the race itself, the entire experience was special for these kids,” said Michael Parchment of Miller Motorcars. “The derby brought families and the community together and provided a great platform to celebrate the United Way agencies and the incredible work they do,” said Elizabeth Tarbell.

An awards ceremony took place at Septemberfest, United Way’s anniversary celebration at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park, where medals were distributed to all drivers and trophies to the top three finishers. United Way thanked VivaPop and Miller Motorcars and the following additional sponsors for making the derby possible: FieldPoint Custom Homes, Audiocom, Nestlé Waters, North America, Commerce Bank, Barbara Zaccagnini, Greenwich Hospital, J & B Body Works, Michael Thomas Framemakers, RBS Sempra Commodities, Grade A ShopRite Supermarkets, Engel & Völkers, Greenwich, Concours d’Elegance, Greenwich Magazine, Griffith E. Harris Insurance, Jack & Kim Foster, Jesika Estepanian/BCRA, Garden Catering and Rex and Jeena Chung. Media Sponsors: Greenwich Magazine, AM1490 WGCH and Greenwich Post. Also instrumental to the event were the following members of the VivaPop All-American Soap Box Derby Advisory Committee: Jack Moffly and Jonathan Moffly of Moffly Publications, Stanley Thal, race director of 1984 and 1985 Derby in Greenwich and Peter Crumbine, RBS Sempra Commodities.

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