Behind The Pine (Wood Derby)
Behind the Pine (Wood Derby)
Event at Madigan’s This Sunday to Benefit Creation of New Inclusive Ellicottville Playground
Photos / Ellicottville Playground
Ready, Steady, Go! This weekend, the first Behind the Pine (Wood Derby) event will be racing upstairs at Madigan’s on Washington Street, Ellicottville. The event is this Sunday, August 18th and will go from 3:00-6:00pm. There will be car kits available for purchase at Madigan’s for those interested in participating, but in a very limited amount. You can find a pinewood derby kit on Amazon for about $12, or head to the Niagara Frontier Scout Shop in Cheektowaga. As a Pinewood Derby alum myself, I can say there is nothing more rewarding than bragging rights if you happen to win! But, if that’s not enticing enough, there will be some epic prizes, a 50/50, and giveaways, along with live entertainment.
If you don’t know what Pinewood Derby is, you either aren’t, weren’t, or didn’t raise a Cub Scout. In these developmental years before Boy Scouts, before your level of merit is defined by badges and meaningful contributions to the community, you’re a Cub Scout. And when you’re a Cub Scout, none of that matters as long as you win the Pinewood Derby!
On a shelf in my childhood bedroom I have all five of my Pinewood Derby cars from the five years I was a Cub Scout, all with their respective placement ribbons bound to the wheel. Those cars are some of my favorite pieces of memorabilia. They represent hours of quality time with my dad and brother and showcase my creative skills over the years.
Now, thanks to the folks at the nonprofit Ellicottville Playground, you don’t have to be a scout to race in the Pinewood Derby! The Behind the Pine (Wood Derby) event directly benefits the construction of a new and more inclusive playground. I spoke with Molly Timkey, head of the Ellicottville Playground nonprofit organization, to learn more about the new inclusive playground.
“Our goal is to tear down our old playground at the Village Park and build a new, more modern, and inclusive playground for all children no matter their ability,” she said. Other than the obvious reasons, being that the current playground with its woodchips and dated equipment isn’t ideal for wheelchair-bound or otherwise physically disabled children to play on, Molly brought up a very interesting point about the kind of foot traffic Ellicottville gets.
“We have two adaptive snowsports programs in Ellicottville - one at Holiday Valley and one at HoliMont. So these families can come and ski in the wintertime, and this playground would be a great opportunity for those same families to come back and visit in the summer as well,” said Molly.
Having a robust and inclusive selection of winter activities is only effective if those summertime counterparts are equally as robust and inclusive. And Molly isn’t just stopping at physical ability. “We’re also adding an area that caters to children with cognitive and sensory processing disorders that is designed to help them calm down and regulate,” added Molly.
Molly was approached by Pat Morgan, a master event planner and the brains behind the derby fundraiser. “How he landed on pinewood derby, I don’t know,” chuckled Molly, “but I’m so grateful he did because this is such a unique event and it should really draw people in.”
Pat also told me it felt like a no-brainer to help out with events on projects that bring the community together. Wether that’s raising money for a project that promotes inclusivity or just playing a part in something that orchestrates community engagement. “It’s so mission critical to this community and I’d be remiss to not insert myself into trying to make a difference,” he said.
Fundraising for the playground is expected to wrap up by the end of 2025, with Molly hoping to break ground on it beginning in 2026. That means we have some more awesome playground events to look forward to and many more ways to support such an wonderful cause. If you can’t make it to the event but would still like to contribute, you can check out the Ellicottville Playground Facebook page for details.
If you CAN make it, check out the Eventbrite page to purchase your $33 admission. And always remember, you may not always have the fastest car, but you can always have the coolest. Good luck!