Kiwanis struggles to keep local demolition derby alive

Kootenai Kiwanis Club members discussed at their meeting Tuesday the possibility of not hosting the annual demolition derby anymore because they say the fundraiser has experienced a decline in participation and profits over the years.

“We work really hard at it,” Kootenai Kiwanis Treasurer Irene Loveless said at the meeting. “We can’t raise prices because of the economy and we can’t reduce prices (for cash prizes) because we won’t be able to get drivers.”

Admission, raffle ticket sales and concessions provide income, but overhead is large – prize money, insurance and other services eat up a sizeable portion. For example, it costs $800 to insure the event for five hours, Kootenai Kiwanis Secretary Pam Peppenger said.

“We absolutely can’t make any money on it,” she added.

The drivers and pit crew volunteers who have participated in the demolition derby throughout the past 18 years are either getting too old or are moving to competitions with bigger prize money.

“We fought for 16 drivers last year and we used to have 40,” Peppenger said.

Loveless added, “And this year will be less.”

Last year’s event had 16 cars, the year before had 19 cars, and in 2006 a total of 28 cars entered the competition.

“The very first year was explosive because the movie crew for ‘The River Wild’ was here,” Loveless said, “but the years that followed also made money.”

Kiwanis volunteers can sell concessions and raffle tickets and set up the park, member Mary Hebenstreit said, but they need the people who are knowledgeable in demolition derbies to take care of the competition – to referee, recruit drivers, etc.   

“We can always do the rest of the stuff if we have the core in place,” Hebenstreit said. “That’s where we’re hurting.”

The number of spectators has also gone down, members said.

The demolition derby is the club’s largest annual fundraiser. Proceeds have helped a myriad of Kiwanis programs, such as Koats for Kids, overnight backpacks for displaced children, newborn hospital packs, the BUGs and Terrific Kids Program, and college scholarships.

Kiwanis created the demolition derby to stand out from other fundraising campaigns and to provide a family-friendly event, Hebenstreit said.

“We wanted a single-event fundraiser for the year so that we wouldn’t be asking people for money all the time,” Hebenstreit said. “It is the only demolition derby in the country that doesn’t sell or serve alcohol. It’s a family event.” 

There weren’t enough members present to reach a quorum so no final decisions were made at Tuesday’s meeting.

“If we do decide not to do it anymore, we’re hoping someone will take it over,” Peppenger said.