There's More Than Meets the Eye at a Demolition Derby

Townhall.com ^ | July 27, 2021 | Salena Zito

[Kaslin]

NEW ALEXANDRIA, Pennsylvania -- The scent of funnel cakes, grilled hot dogs and an ever-so-faint whiff of diesel fuel fill the air. The odd combination somehow works, adding to the excitement and anticipation as thousands of families and gearheads fill the stands surrounding the track of the local Lions Club Demolition Derby here in Westmoreland County.

From the clothing to the massive, oversized tires that serve as makeshift bumpers to protect the people in the stands from an errant jalopy, nearly everything and everyone is draped in red, white and blue.

Before you form a misguided stereotype, there is a lot more going on here than first meets the eye -- beginning with the organization that is running it. The Lions Club began in 1917 in Chicago, founded by business leader Melvin Jones. Jones believed that members of the business community, large and small, had an obligation to address the betterment of their local communities. Like other do-goody fraternal organizations of that era, the club's objective was to serve outside the influences of government and politics.

Within three years, it went international. The club showcased its efforts at the world's fair, made Amelia Earhart an honorary member, answered Helen Keller's challenge to serve the blind, provided an organized baseball program for children (that led to the very first Little League baseball game, played in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in 1939) and gave 6-year-old Stevie Wonder a drum set for Christmas.

One hundred four years later, the Lions are still doing good deeds, including this demolition derby. Its proceeds will go back into the community, explains Randy Bacher, president of the New Alexandria Lions Club.

"This is all about giving back and serving the community," Bacher says. The roar of the engines of the derby cars is so constant that he has to shout, and then the siren signals the end of that round of demolition driving. "Our proceeds go to the local schools where we run the Lunchables Backpack program, which provides weekend meals and snacks for local schoolchildren. We also sponsor scholarships through the two local high schools for the community college and also help fund four local volunteer fire departments."

In turn, those same people give back by volunteering to staff the event. "They are running the stands, keeping the track clear, coordinating the parking lot and serving as ambassadors to guests," explains Greg Oyaick, second vice president of the club.

Both men are standing on the sidelines, overseeing the operation, enjoying the event and making sure everything is running smoothly.

"Unfortunately, we have more volunteers than we have members of the club," explains Bacher. They have tried 100 different ways of trying to recruit young people to join the club, he says, but nothing seems to interest them.

"When we were young, we were compelled to serve," he says. "This culture promotes this what-is-in-it-for-me attitude that doesn't always lead to service to the community."

It is a problem many fraternal organizations across this country have encountered since the children of the 1960s Me Generation took those attitudes with them into adulthood and passed them on to the next generation.

"What is going to happen to our club?" Bacher wonders out loud.

In response, Oyaick asks, "What is going to happen to our communities?"

The void would not only be felt at an empty track off old U.S. Route 22 on warm summer nights, but also in the lost funds that this and similar organizations provide outside of government to keep communities from fraying.

Young people often cite their busy lives as reasons for not joining, yet that excuse was not used by their fathers and their fathers before them, a series of generations that joined service organizations such as the Lions Club or the Kiwanis or the Elks or the Rotary. As they diminish and their members die off, one more cultural touchstone goes with them, and one less community has its volunteer fire department funded, or a baseball field for the local kids, or lunch on a Saturday for a family experiencing food insecurity.

Demolition derbies are as American as a glass of bourbon, an apple pie or the sound of a wooden bat cracking against a speeding baseball. They began around here sometime in the 1930s, as people found a use for their old tin lizzies that were rusting away in barns all across rural America.

The rules often vary, but the object remains the same. At least five (there were 25 at this event) drivers compete by intentionally ramming their vehicles into one another.

"The last person standing -- or I should say, still operational -- is crowned the winner," explains Oyaick.

Some fans follow drivers and their cars from event to event. Some people just pick a car to win, just by the look of it, the make or even the color. There are wild cheers when a car makes it through another round, and there are even cheers of admiration when one is so beat up it has to be towed off the muddy field by a tractor.

Walking through the parking lot, the variety of license plates from New York, Maryland, West Virginia and Ohio provide more evidence people are looking for entertainment outside of sitting in front of a large screen in their home or hunched over a small screen elsewhere. They are looking for community and a sense of belonging.

"You definitely get that here," says Bacher. "Our challenge is to get people involved, so events like this continue to happen. I guarantee you, once you are part of a service group, you always want to be part of that. We just have to figure out how to get them in the door that first time."

If not, he says, he's not sure what will happen to the club or the people who benefit from its volunteerism.

[marktwain]

A significant difference is the mass employment of wives and mothers.

My father was heavily involved in local civics, from chairman of the local school board, to County Chairman, to a member of the board on the local farmer's cooperative.

He could do this because my mother made a home and took care of the children (eight of us).

My mother still found time to be a leader in the 4-H group.

[knarf]

HERE

[Yardstick]

Good one from Selena Zito.

[gr8eman]

I remember on Saturdays they used to play demolition derby on Wide World of Sports , I think it was. Me and my brothers were glued to the TV for however long that was on. There were only 4 channels and that was one of the greatest ever...while now there 400 channels and nothing comes close!

[drSteve78]

If not, he says, he’s not sure what will happen to the club or the people who benefit from its volunteerism

….it’s simple, the organization will die for lack of critical numbers to keep going, and anyone who casually remembers will ask, “i wonder why they stopped?” Without realizing that there was no “they” left. “They “ all died.

[drSteve78]

The world is run by those that show up.

Unfortunately, many otherwise good people aren’t.

[bert]

——ever-so-faint whiff of diesel fuel -——

Then the rest of the piece seems synthetic

[FreshPrince]

Been said people go to car races to see the occasional wreck. Well heck, go to a demo derby and its 100% wrecks!
They are fun to watch. Wonder if there was ever a 100% Ford pinto derby?

[Deplorable American1776]

Those were fun... Old sedans and station wagons banging into each other. It was on Wide World of Sports...

[Pollard]

The world is run by those that show up.

Unfortunately, many otherwise good people aren’t.

The same can be said of politics. Good people are finally showing up at school board meetings but none ever thought about becoming a school board member before. Instead, vile leftists took those positions.

[marktwain]

To most good people, politics is a necessary evil.

To most Leftists, politics is their life.

[ShadowAce]

The world is run by those that show up.

Unfortunately, many otherwise good people aren’t.

That's usually because if they DO show up, they are then pressured into more activities than they were expecting, were willing to do, or are capable of doing.

Organizations have a difficult time just accepting the help they are given without asking for more.

Don't get me wrong. I understand why they ask for more--lack of people. But that lack of people pressures those active people right out of the activity.

[Wuli]

When you are brought up on the mantra that the government is suppose to have programs to take care of everything for everybody at every level, from where do you get the idea you ought to volunteer?

When there was more local community spirit, more local volunteer organizations and less federal intrusion into every facet of local life, our communities were stronger. Now everyone has been educated in school to look at the federal government to solve everything, and to complain whenever the federal government does not get involved. By the time kids are in Junior High, it is politics directed at the federal government that any volunteerism they have will be directed, in the form of “social activists”.

[lowbuck]

Selena is one of the few reporter who bother to see and report what is really going on in the country.

I too have noticed that fewer step forward to volunteer their time for the community. Since I retired I have delved deeply into community service and have found it richly rewarding.

Things go in cycles and hopefully the spirit of volunteering will return to what it was when I was a kid and deeply influenced by those who showed up to make things happen without the expectation of any financial reward (Little League, Boy Scouts, 4-H, and so on).

[Paleo Pete]

In about 1976 or 77 I had a nice 1959 Cadillac. 4 door, great shape, only dent anywhere was a small crease in the left headlight trim ring, looked like it never hit anything bigger than a Tonka truck.

Only cigarette lighter that had been used was the one at the steering wheel, it was maybe used 2 or 3 times. Rear carpets looked brand new. Only thing that didn’t work was the photo cell that should turn on the lights for you at dark. I didn’t know what it was. Ashtrays never used, the one at the driver seat had one cigar ash, otherwsise looked new. (4 ashtrays)

Sold it because I couldn’t find a job and rebuild the engine. (Carter economy and it burned more oil than gas) Moved out of state, still no jobs.

After coming back the next year I happened to watch a local tv channel (Houston), they did an ad for the yearly demolition derby at new year, with videos from the previous year. I got a good look at my cadillac getting creamed...made me sick...I saw the license plate, definitely my car.

Why in the world would anyone put a ‘59 cadillac, only in need of an engine rebuild and paint job, in a demolition derby to be destroyed? The rear seat looked like nobody had ever been in it...carpet brand new. No cracked windows. Not one dent, except a crease in a chrome trim ring. Perfect restoration project...

Still makes me sad to think about it. Just plain stupid...

[Waverunner]

Wednesday night in the 60's and early 70's was figure eight demolition derby at the old Eau Gallie ( now part of Melbourne) Fl racetrack.
Nothing like a good t bone at 80 miles an hour to get the crowd out of the seats.
At elementary school age I soon figured out that on of thew big station wagons were going to win.
And today I feel sorry that so many 40's fords were turned into scrap.
And one idiot went out in a beetle for his " Gone in 60 seconds" film tryout.
Even jeeps and wagoneers couldn't defeat a big Buick station wagon.
The favorite wagon tactic was to us the rear end to slam the opponents either in reverse or a sideways slide.
Great days, and oddly I don't remember an ambulance hauling anyone off.
Just drivers jumping out of their demolished ride and running like heck to get to the gate off the field.
Fun Days.

[Liberty Tree Surgeon]

At the same time, fathers are way more involved with their own children than in the prior generation. Which might be related to moms in the workforce no doubt.