16th Annual Big Hill Box Cart Derby
This is our second year as a company participating in this event.
It's a fun day for kids and adults, and of course all the proceeds go to help out the children of Hope Town. Mainly the Hope Town Primary School, Abaco Swim Club and the Sailing Club. The weather was mild and beautiful as always.
There are a quite a few recurring entries which are looked forward to. The family that dressed up as “Grease” last year, decorated their box cart as “Frozen” this year, with a beautifully painted Sven the reindeer and “Keep Calm and Let it Go". Anna and Olaf the snowman made the cutest drivers.
There was also a "007" James Bond driver!
Our very own “Lil Bill” Albury has always had quite the knack for pulling together original and fun ideas from his days at Waterloo in Nassau. So our box cart has a smoke machine in it - just so we can hear the announcer say over the loudspeaker “Damianos - Sotheby’s is smokingggg!” He chose a classy white pinstripe to go with our Sotheby’s blue, and this year we switched out the stock wheels and tried some 16” bicycle tyres.
Chris Albury was at the top of the hill - making sure all went smoothly with our drivers. First with the time trials and then with the actual heats. Deanna McDonald for the Junior division and Keanu Ambrister and Aaron Albury for the Seniors.
Even though the recommended age group for the Juniors is 9 -14, our own Kerry Sullivan’s son Blake had insisted on participating and it was really quite something to see him zooming down the hill as the youngest competitor at age 7!
Myself, Jane Patterson, Kristi Wong, Kerry Sullivan, and new to our team Robertha Knowles donated our time to the Hamburger and Hot dog table. The proceeds go to the Hope Town School and last year we had helped out and immensely enjoyed it. As our team is spread out on different islands we don’t always get together often enough and it was great to come together and flip and serve some burgers for a good cause. Last year we had an idea to serve the burgers/hot dogs on the inside of the Frisbees that we were giving away so that really helps the environment and everyone gets a take home gift!
Conch salad, popcorn, snow cones, mac n cheese and of course “Swigel” which is gin, condensed milk, and coconut water are all available for sale.
The announcer is entertaining and informative - and she did not fail to miss that this was the first year ever that Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty would face off against H.G.Christie Realty. There was a lot of good natured teasing between our teams as we are all friends but of course do have a competitive spirit. We won the heat and secured 3rd place in the Senior Division!
Our junior division entry, Deanna McDonald, had never been to the Box Cart Derby before, and so was slightly nervous at the top (as anyone would be). But of course she didn’t let that stop her and after the first time down the hill was ready for more and won all of her 3 heats and 1st place!
Blake came in 3rd place and he was already ecstatic just to be able to participate so the trophy really made his day.
Our teenager boys that competed in the senior division definitely gave it their all as well.
To get out of the blocks, the cart does not immediately start down Big Hill, you have to “rock” your body weight back and forth to get it started and often the most vigorous get out of the blocks first which is an advantage.
Andrew and Otis Wilhoyte won overall first place, and I don’t think it was much of a surprise, they have been fine tuning their cart for a few years now and I think were the projected winners so at least we have something to aim for!
So its back to the shop for our box cart - until next year!
