Girl Scout pinewood derby set for Saturday

The Havre Girl Scout Derby Race is scheduled Saturday at 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the St. Jude’s Parish Center, 440 Seventh Ave.

Registration is free and will begin  at 10 a.m. with racing starting at noon

The annual pine block racing event is for Girl Scouts, and an open class will also be available for non-Girl Scouts.

Keith’s Racing of Great Falls is hosting the event.

“Looking at it as a father, I see the opportunity to put down the video game and make something with your child,” owner Keith Kallstrom said. “I work to make it a fun event for the kids and family.”

Kallstrom said he travels to locations from Havre to Missoula as units hire him to come to their event with his racetrack and gear to put the race on.  

“I run the track and electronics while the units take care of getting the rules in order, along with most of the racing activities. The system that I have allows for close racing, timing the cars down the track to .0001 seconds,” he said. “I enjoy the excitement the kids have in their eyes as their cars race down the track.”

  He added that the best part is when the child and parents interact at creating something.

“I fully believe that each race should be fun for the participants and the spectators, no matter what the size of the unit,” Kallstrom said. “I am more than happy to serve their needs of racing.”

For more information about Saturday’s derby, people can contact Christi Marsh at 845-2749.

More Pinewood derbies coming up are Havre Local Cub Scout Pinewood Derby Saturday, Feb. 8; Hi-Line District Cub Scout Pinewood Derby, Saturday, March 7, 2020, and Hi-Line District Adult Pinewood Derby, which is also a fundraiser for the local Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, set for Saturday, April 4.