PARKERSBURG - Although it rained, a number of people got out Sunday and got to see the local countryside as they participated in a road rally to benefit area youth.
The North Parkersburg Kiwanis Club held its fourth annual Senta Marie Webb Memorial Road Rally on Sunday afternoon.
Starting at Park Shopping Center in Parkersburg, 10 participating cars were given a set of directions throughout the area. A driver and a navigator had to traverse the course, passing a number of checkpoints to record their rate, and finish the course in the prescribed time, said organizer John Webb.
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Photo by Brett Dunlap
Senta Marie Webb Memorial Road Rally organizer John Webb takes the registration of Sherry Hamilton of Parkersburg and Ruth Dolphin of Vienna to participate in the rally Sunday afternoon at the Park Shopping Center in Parkersburg.
The 52-mile course crossed over the Memorial Bridge into Washington County, followed a course throughout the countryside and ended at the final checkpoint at Farson Street in Belpre.
"It should have taken them 87 minutes to run it," Webb said. "Anything under or over that, they get a penalty."
Webb stressed that it was not a race, but a timed event where rate of speed and the time when cars passed the checkpoint factored into the final score.
"We know about what times they should be there," Webb said. "If they are before or late, they are penalized."
After everyone ran the course, all of the participants gathered at the Shoney's Restaurant on Garfield Avenue to get the results and to share stories.
Some people talked about the difficulties they faced out on the course while others joked about their apparent lack of direction. Participants looked over maps to see where they might have gone wrong and to have a good laugh with the others.
Cliff King, of Belpre, was a first-time participant. He was urged to try out the rally by a friend who won the event last year.
"I figured if he could win, I could do it," he said.
Things started out good, making the first checkpoint. However, King and his partner missed the second and ended up going about 30 extra miles. He was looking at maps at Shoney's to see where they went wrong.
"I will have to redeem myself next year and that will be my goal," he said. "It was a blast.
"I'll definitely do it again."
Before the event began, Cindy Deem and her navigator Debbie Fought, of Parkersburg, were determined to beat their rivals, and good friends, Ruth Dolphin, of Vienna, and Sherry Hamilton, of Parkersburg. The four have participated in the event every year for the last four years.
"All I want to do is beat Dolphin and Hamilton," Deem said.
Before the winners were announced, Deem thought the did pretty well coming right in around the 87-minute mark.
"I think we beat them," she said. "They were a car ahead of us and we haven't seen them yet.
"We made it right on the button."
Dolphin and Hamilton made it to Shoney's a short time later.
"We had a slight detour," Dolphin said with a laugh. "We got to see a lot of places we haven't gotten to see before.
"However, we had no flat tire this year (like they did last year)."
Overall, Dolphin said they had a good time and got to see a lot of the countryside. She just wished it was more sunny Sunday so they could take in the scenery more.
"It was enjoyable," she said. "We always enjoy it."
Deem and Fought ended up winning first place in Sunday's rally. Dave and Lois Meadows, of Parkersburg, won second place. Mark Farra and Brian Bellville, of Parkersburg and Belpre respectively, won third. The winners were awarded trophies.
The event raised around $120 which goes towards supporting the Kiwanis Club's youth activities, including Key Clubs and K Kids as well as other programs.
"All of the money we raise goes to kids," Webb said.
