Going Distance With Food Browne Elementary Students Get Chance To Play With Their Fruits And Vegetables In A Derby And Learn, Too

The Black Phantom had just stolen the lead from the Thunderbird, so it was time for the T-Bird’s pit crew to go to work.

Browne Elementary students David McClellan, Sarah Gerts, David Olson, Jaga Kala and Karisia Allman pondered the possibilities.

Should they change the front tires and replace the chopped carrots with limes? Or what about replacing the lime and carrot wheels altogether with apples?

In the end, the T-Birds’ team of five decided to shorten the skewers which were used for the car’s rear suspension.

Their teacher, Sean McCarthy, placed the Thunderbird at the top of the ramp. A potential berth to the national finals was on the line.

McCarthy let go of the car, but the T-Bird came up woefully short of 20 feet 11 inches, the distance it needed to defeat the Black Phantom.

The Phantom - made of apples, a radish and carrots - was declared the winner of the vegetable derby at Browne Elementary School last week.

The program, sponsored by Albertson’s and the Washington Apple Commission, involved fourth and fifth graders across Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho and Western Montana.

Before the race, students were taught the benefits of eating a variety of fruits and vegetables in their health and nutrition classes.

“The derby promotes good nutrition, emphasizes teamwork and encourages children to be imaginative,” said Jim White, produce sales manager for Albertson’s. “The object is to design a car which goes the farthest, not the fastest.”

Browne’s winning pit crew consisted of Chris Alfeterieas, Justin Deiss, Morgan Berednia and Brandon Stoddard. Their Black Phantom is now eligible to go to regional competition.

Regional winners will be chosen based on performance and car design.

“It was my idea,” said Stoddard, “to use a carrot for the car’s body. The potatoes and melons - that stuff was just to heavy.”

Stoddard’s observation paid off.

The fruit and veggie cars were rolled down an 8-foot ramp which was raised at a 45-degree angle off the school’s gym floor.

Many of the cars had wheels so wobbly they couldn’t roll straight. Many of them turned sideways and rolled off the ramp before they reached the floor.

The Black Phantom’s chassis was a carrot, its wheels were apples, and it had a radish for a cockpit.

The boys said they enjoyed racing the cars, but all said they still preferred eating fruits and vegetables instead.

But no one was going to eat the Phantom.

“Yuck, why we would do that?” Stoddard said.

“It’s been on the floor, and besides, everybody has touched it. That’s how you get that thing. You know, that disease that’s going around making everybody sick because people don’t wash their hands when they use the bathroom.”

Hepatitis?

“Yeah, that’s it,” Stoddard said. “We’ll just race this one and eat something else.”

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