Photo by Bob McDonnell – A scout and volunteer Wayne Weber set up the next Pinewood Derby race heat.

Local area Cub Scouts gathered on Saturday, January 22 for race day. In this case, the contest was the annual Pinewood Derby. This time-honored event started in California in 1953, long before these scouts, and even their parents were born.

Scout Master Clinton Vining said that overall, more than 30 scouts designed, built and raced cars. A wide variety of styles and colors of cars showed the scouts’ creativity and enthusiasm.

Results for the Pack 6 Pinewood Derby include:

Overall fastest car:

1^st – Cody Jennett – Wolf, Hot Wheels car

2^nd – Jess Knutzen, Bear, cyber truck

3^rd – Theodore Clopper, Webelos, zigzag car

The coolest scout’s car by a vote of those in attendance:

Myles Yenny and his chicken car

Peter Oberg and his Baby Yoda car

The drag race-type event features small wooden cars racing with the help of gravity on an inclined straight track. A computer determined winners in each heat, along with the speed of the cars.

Photo by Bob McDonnell – A table full of trophies and medals await the winners of Pack 6 Pinewood Derby.

The fastest cars ran the course in what would be the equivalent of more than 205 miles per hour.

Vining said in December the group collected and packed bags for families at Children’s Hospital for the Greyson Project. This project was started by a Berthoud family to bring holiday decorations to children’s hospitals after they spent Christmas in the hospital with their son. The parents were struck by the lack of decorations for the children. Tragically, their son Greyson did not leave the hospital with them but his memory lives on in the Greyson Project. Vining says between 15 to 20 bags were delivered this year.

Scouting events continues in Berthoud with another race tentatively on tap for April. This time it will be the Rain Gutter Regatta. The scouts will pit their miniature sailboats against each other.

The adult scoutmaster said this has been a good year for the scouts. He noted that at the start of the school year, about 20 kindergarten through fifth-grade boys joined the pack. In the prior year, the numbers were down, he added, due to COVID.

Anyone in Berthoud who has a child interested in Cub Scouts may contact Scoutmaster Clinton Vining at 1-503-314-8730 or email at [email protected]