On September 1, the Optimist Club presented another edition of its famous soapbox race. The top 3 drivers in each category received a trophy with the race logo, but as all participants are winners, each received a beautiful stainless steel water bottle with the Grand Prix de Rigaud emblem.

Roch Rousseau, the man in charge of the soapbox race, told us that it was a great success, with 65 participants, given that the race was held in September rather than in June for the Fête nationale, and that it had been postponed at the last minute from Saturday to Sunday, due to the weather.

A young participant in the 7-8 age group suffered a minor elbow injury and was referred to the first-aid team on site, then transported to the Centre hospitalier régional du Suroît in Valleyfield, as a precautionary measure. By the end of race day, however, the news was good: there were no broken bones, and the injured youngster appeared smiling in a photo that evening. In the event of a mini-crack, she will be seen for more definite radiology at CHU Sainte-Justine in the near future. 

The Optimist Club would like to acknowledge the incredible contribution of Richard Lalonde and Régent Lussier in making these soap box races a reality, and have been doing so for several years now.

The Club also thanked Claudia Bissonnette of Rigaud's recreation department and the town's firefighters for their partnership.

The 11 Optimist members present were very happy to count on the support of 14 volunteers recruited from the community, and would like to thank them for their dedication.

Special thanks were extended to the members of the organizing committee: Régent Lussier, Pierre Mallette, Richard Lalonde, Line Gagné, Richard Servant and Rock Rousseau, as well as to all the parents and spectators who came to cheer on the young drivers.