Pinewood Derby events are enjoyed by many local scouts.
However, preparing for a Pinewood Derby can be a bit challenging. You need a fair amount of space and the right tools, which some families don’t have access to.
To provide youth with the opportunity to participate, Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is opening up its building and offering needed equipment to scout groups.
This annual tradition started several years ago, and our support of the derbies extends back to 2014.
“We’ve been running Pinewood Derby workshops for many years and enjoy helping out the scouts in this way,” Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire Owner Scott Whitling said.
Our shop is located at 2603 Hanco Center Drive. Any scout packs that would like to set up Pinewood Derby workshops should call Steve’s Auto Repair at (703) 670-8005 and ask for Scott Whitling, or email scott.whitling@stevesautorepairva.com.
Here is footage from our 2021 event:
Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Goodyear tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including BMW and Mercedes. Services include oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.
Pinewood Derby car ideas were brought to life on Saturday.
Local cub scouts participated in a Pinewood Derby workshop that was held at Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire, 2603 Hanco Center Drive.
Belt sanders, a Dremel tool, a drill press, a band saw were used to complete the projects of Cub Scout Pack 1373 in Dale City and Cub Scout Pack 295 in Lake Ridge. Cub scouts is a program that’s available for boys and girls who are between kindergarten and fifth grade.
Our Woodbridge auto repair shop started supporting the pinewood derbies several years ago. This transitioned into hosting an annual Pinewood Derby workshop when we realized that a lot of scouts and parents didn’t have the proper tools.
“We strongly believe in giving back to the community we live and work in,” Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire Owner Scott Whitling said. “By offering this event, we are able to help kids get involved in an awesome non-profit that teaches them many life skills.”
In addition to scouting, Steve’s Auto Repair supports the Prince William County/Manassas Boys & Girls Clubs and The Salvation Army.
Contact Steve’s Auto Repair at (703) 670-8005 if your scout troop is looking for a place to build pinewood derby cars.
Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Goodyear tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including BMW and Mercedes. Services include oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.
Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire believes in giving back to the community.
Over the years, we have partnered with many organizations. This work includes sponsoring events and even cleaning up litter on the side of the road for Keep Prince William Beautiful’s (KPWB) Adopt-A-Spot program.
The business also supports local non-profits on a regular basis. Scouting, The Salvation Army, and the Prince William County/Manassas Boys & Girls Clubs are among them.
Our support of scouting
We first began to support scouting by sponsoring the Pinewood Derby a few years ago.
It was through these events that we realized the kids and their families didn’t have the space and tools needed to build cars. This led us to start offering Pinewood Derby workshops each year. We purchased equipment and began opening the shop on the weekend.
“It’s really been a pleasure having them there,” Steve’s Auto Repair Owner Scott Whitling said. “It’s great to see the reactions they have when they’re completing their cars.”
You can read about and see a video of our most recent workshop by checking out this article we wrote.
How we help The Salvation Army
Helping The Salvation Army, which seeks to help the less fortunate, is another way Steve’s Auto Repair supports the community.
In addition to running a food pantry, the non-profit provides funding for gas and electricity so people can have heat during the winter. It also offers various programs, including the Out of Poverty program.
“For many, many years The Salvation Army has been helping people,” Whitling explained. “It’s one of the good non-profits here in Prince William County that’s consistent all the way through.”
In addition to volunteering at the warehouse, we have also sponsored its Angel Tree program and assisted with the Fill The Truck program. We maintain the organization’s vehicles to help keep them on the road, too.
Assisting the Boys & Girls Club
For many years, we have been working with the Boys & Girls Club, which serves youth in the community. This non-profit offers before and after school activities and various programs.
“The kids are able to have different experiences – whether it’s sports, academic programs or STEM-related classes – that a lot of kids don’t get,” Whitling said.
It’s also affordable and if a family can’t pay for the club membership, none of the kids are turned away.
We work on the buses and perform oil changes and inspections at no cost.
Funding What’s Up Prince William
Steve’s Auto Repair also supports the community by helping fund What’s Up Prince William (WUPW.news). The media site provides free coverage and event promotion for local non-profits, including the scouts, The Salvation Army, and the Boys & Girls Club.
“It’s an organization that’s very important to the community, and that’s why it’s important to us,” Whitling explained.
Located at 2603 Hanco Center Drive in Woodbridge, Steve’s Auto Repair provides various services. They include oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics. It’s also an authorized Goodyear tire dealer.
Members of the pack participated in a Pinewood Derby workshop on Saturday. It was held at Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire, which is located at 2603 Hanco Center Drive in Woodbridge.
The repair shop began hosting the event a few years ago when its owners learned that some scouts and parents don’t have access to needed tools.
“We saw there was a need that we are able to meet,” Owner Scott Whitling explained. “The scouts are great organizations for youth, and we are happy to help them out in this way.”
How our Pinewood Derby workshop got started
Steve’s Auto Repair has been supporting the pinewood derbies since 2014.
For many years – even before the scouts were combined – we have seen girls building cars along with their brothers. The cub scouts had a sibling part of the Pinewood Derby, which enabled girls to participate. It has been really cool to see that.
The Pinewood Derby workshop is one way our auto repair shop gives back to the community. Steve’s Auto Repair supports various non-profits, including scouting, the Prince William County/Manassas Boys & Girls Club, and The Salvation Army.
We have learned that many scout packs have delayed their Pinewood Derby to May, due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Any scout packs that need a place to build pinewood derby cars may reach out to Steve’s Auto Repair at (703) 670-8005.
Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Goodyear tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including BMW and Mercedes. Services include oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.
During the annual event, kids and their families created pinewood derby cars that will be used in a competition on January 25.
The Pinewood Derby is beginning at 5 p.m. at Prince of Peace United Methodist Church, 6299 Token Forest Drive in Manassas.
Tools, space needed to make pinewood derby cars
Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire has been participating with pinewood derbies — through sponsorships and workshops — since 2014.
We believe that the scouting program is a very good program to support in the community. We started by sponsoring pinewood derbies and, over the years, we saw a need for the parents to be able to help their kids build pinewood derby cars. A lot of them live in apartments and townhomes and don’t have the necessary tools.
“One year, we found out that there was a scout that was not able to participate in the pinewood derby because they lived in an apartment and had no tools. That was one of the things we wanted to change — to give everyone an opportunity to participate,” Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire Owner ST Billingsley said. “As we did a little more research, we realized that was a common occurrence.”
Now that the pinewood derbies allow siblings to participate, it’s really fun to see the family building the cars together, including the girls — whether or not the girls are involved in the scouting program.
Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Goodyear tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including BMW and Mercedes. Services include oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.
