Decatur, GA — The Madison Avenue Soapbox Derby will be held on Saturday, Oct. 15.

The annual soapbox derby event is held on Madison Avenue in Decatur’s Oakhurst neighborhood. Proceeds raised over the years have gone to benefit various nonprofits.

The Madison Avenue Soapbox Derby is a non-motorized racing event that challenges amateur racers to design and build human-powered soapbox cars that compete against the clock in a downhill race. Competitors are divided into age groups with awards for the fastest time and most creative car themes.

The soapbox derby started in 2011 as a community project organized by neighbors. The event has raised over $200,000 over the first nine years of the derby to benefit local nonprofits. This year the beneficiary is the Friends of Refugees. The goal of the organization is to empower refugees through opportunities in education, employment, and wellbeing.

“Madison Avenue Soapbox Derby is partnering with Friends of Refugees (FOR) and their Refugee Family Literacy (RFL) program to support the mother and child education classes, serving over 250 students and 125 adult learners through a family literacy approach,” Deanna Sutandi said.

Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett will be one of the judges.

Driver registration is open for the Madison Avenue Soapbox Derby and closes on Oct. 12 at 5 p.m. On Derby Day, registration opens at 10:30 a.m. for teams to arrive, sign in, get their cars inspected and park.

Participants should enter Madison Avenue through Johnston Place starting at 10:30 a.m. An adult must check in for their child regardless of team grouping, and waivers must be signed before proceeding.

Enter Madison Ave through Johnston Place beginning at 10:30. Look for the registration tent. An adult must check in for their child regardless of team grouping. Waivers must be signed before you proceed.

For more information about the race, click here.

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