Demolition Derby canceled

The Thermopolis Chamber of Commerce has made the difficult decision to cancel their annual Demolition Derby held annually in August.

In their press release, they said their Board of Directors “have made the difficult decision to cancel the Annual Thermopolis Demolition Derby scheduled for August 8, 2020.  We are very disappointed that we are unable to hold this event for our drivers and spectators. But we know it is the right decision based on the information we have today.  We look forward to making the next year’s Thermopolis Demolition Derby stronger so mark your calendars for Saturday, August 14, 2021. If you have any questions, please contact the chamber at 864-3192.”

Their main obstacle was due to the current health regulations and having the six feet of social distancing required.

Because of this directive, there would not be enough tickets sold to make the event fiscally viable. Some had suggested to the Chamber to reduce the amount of prize money. However, this idea was rejected as the drivers in the competition would most likely not want to compete.

Other towns such as Riverton, Basin, Powell and others also canceled their events. After looking at how much work it would entail to try to keep the event and doing the math of what ticket sales would provide and for the prize money, the Chamber decided to cancel the event.

With the demolition derby’s cancellation, the Chamber is putting their focus and energy on the fireworks stand on the south end of town. The fireworks stand opened on Monday, June 15.

The Chamber sees this as an opportunity to give back the kids and the community. Already the Chamber has reached out to the county’s various sports teams and the speech, drama and band teams. So far, only the high school football team and the girls’ basketball stepped up to participate.

If a student works at the fireworks stand they will earn $10 per hour and the chamber will contribute a portion of their sales to a Bobcat team. 

An adult must be present at the stand while high school teenagers work. The Chamber is looking to students to help out and take advantage of this opportunity as a fundraiser for their fellow classmates and team members.

Additionally, the Chamber passed a motion to have Howie and Suzanne Samelson look into creating a Chamber Foundation. This nonprofit entity would make the Chamber be able to apply for additional grants and other types of funding. Also, this would open up the opportunity to serve beyond the city and into the entire county, such as in East Thermopolis and Kirby.

Finally, the Chamber of Commerce is in the middle of applying for a Small Business Association loan and its application is pending approval.