Racing Through Community Spirit: The Legacy of The Hap Rapp Memorial Track Meet

In this episode of “15 Minutes with Paul Ward,” we delve into the heart of community spirit with special guest Dave Drumright, a prominent figure in The Camarillo Rotary Club and the longstanding chairman of a local gem: The Hap Rapp Memorial Track Meet. Dave takes us on a journey through time, recounting the rich history of this cherished event that has graced the local community for decades. From its humble beginnings to its current stature, we uncover the essence of what makes this meet so special. Dave shares insights into the intricacies of managing such an event, from the diverse range of participants to the array of activities available. We explore the event, welcoming kids in grades 4th – 8th from various schools, and gain a deeper understanding of the profound impact it has on the children involved. As Dave walks us through the bustling atmosphere of the meet, we get a taste of the excitement and camaraderie that fills the air. From thrilling competitions to heartwarming moments, every aspect is meticulously orchestrated by Dave and his dedicated team of volunteers. We learn about the meticulous record-keeping dating back to the inaugural event in 1960 and the tradition of awarding trophies and ribbons to deserving participants. Amidst the hustle and bustle, Dave reveals the behind-the-scenes magic of managing volunteers and navigating the inevitable downtime. Join us as we uncover the magic of The Hap Rapp Memorial Track Meet and the extraordinary community spirit that brings it to life.

Watch the full episode HERE:

What you’ll learn in this episode:
0:00 Introduction of this week’s guest: Dave Drumright of The Camarillo Rotary and the Chairman of a local and unique track meet
0:47 Dave Drumright tells us the history of event
1:27 Find out what the event is called, “The Hap Rapp Memorial Track Meet”
2:03 Dave has been the chairman of The Hap Rapp Memorial Track Meet for 14 Years 
2:14 Who is involved in the event, what types of things are available at the event
3:13 What ages of kids can participate and what local schools participate
3:57 We learn the more about the children that are involved in the event
4:50 The activities at the Hap Rapp Memorial Track Meet
7:05 Date of the 2024 Hap Rapp Memorial Track Meet
7:48 All the event records have been kept since the inaugural event in 1960, trophies and ribbons are awarded as well
8:45 Dave Drumright also manages all the volunteers
9:21 Hurry Up and Wait! What happens during downtime
10:08 A special Thank You to our sponsor: Opus Escrow

Related Episodes:
Pathfinders: Cultivating Good Leaders Through the Scouting Journey
Reel Guppy Adventures: Nurturing Nature, Inspiring Youth
Harvesting Futures in Agricultural Education

2024 Hap Rapp Memorial Track Meet:
Camarillo Rotary Foundation
Adolfo Camarillo High School
4660 Mission Oaks Blvd.
Camarillo, CA  93012

Contact Paul Ward:
805-479-5004
paul@homeandranchteam.com

Have ideas for future episodes? We’d love to answer your questions – leave a comment! For any home buying or home selling needs in the Ventura County area of California, please reach out to Paul@HomeAndRanchTeam.com or visit www.HomeAndRanchTeam.com

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A special THANK YOU to our sponsor, OPUS ESCROW! Farm Talk with Paul Ward would not be possible without the support of our sponsor Opus Escrow. Supporting our sponsor ensures Farm Talk can provide listeners with the best possible episodes.

Speaker 1 (00:00):

<Silence>

Paul Ward (00:04):

Hey everyone, it’s Paul Ward here, and welcome to another 15 minutes. I’m excited. Today we have a special guest, Dave Drumright, with the Camarillo Rotary Club. Dave, welcome to 15 minutes.

Dave Drumright (00:16):

Thanks Paul.

Paul Ward (00:17):

Absolutely. And I wanted to have you on today because you are the chairman of an upcoming track meet, which actually has a, a very unique history to it. It’s not your normal track meet that would be organized by a by a school district or some other sports entity. But this has actually been headed up by the Camarillo Rotary Club for, for many decades now,

Dave Drumright (00:45):

Correct? Yes. in 1960, we had our first track meet, and it was organized in fall of 1959. They decided to do it, of course, we weren’t around then, but that’s when they decided to, to get more community involvement with athletics and they thought a track meet would be ideal for the local community. So a gentleman named Charles Hah was the first guy. He was the president of the club at the time, and he and some other committee members decided to, to put on a track meet in the spring. And so that’s what they did.

Paul Ward (01:23):

Okay. And this track meet kind of has a funny name.

Dave Drumright (01:27):

Yes. It’s the Hap Rapp Memorial Track meet and Hap Rapp is actually a gentleman’s name who was instrumental in providing lots of activities and details towards the track meet. And he spent countless hours in setting up this track meet and performing it and fine tuning all the details for many, many years. And when he passed away, the club decided to name the track, meet after.

Paul Ward (01:51):

Gotcha. And you’ve had the the honor or the, or I guess the task of, of being in charge of this for what, 12, 13 years now?

Dave Drumright (02:02):

This will be my 14th. Wow. So my 14th year. Yeah.

Paul Ward (02:05):

Who, who’s counting

Dave Drumright (02:06):

<Laugh>? Yeah, right. <Laugh>

Paul Ward (02:07):

And now who, how do you, how do you organize this? Who’s, who’s all involved?

Dave Drumright (02:14):

Well it’s, it, for the most part it’s me because I’m a control freak and I like to make sure that everything’s done properly. And we do ask for parent volunteers from the schools and each of the coaches push that. And they get multiple volunteers for all of the events that occur that day. Plus our Rotary Club is very involved. And so we have 20 or 30 Rotary volunteers from our local club who participate and will be in charge of each of the events. And we’re gonna sell T-shirts and, and we’ve had a different T-shirt every year, different colors with a different logo. And we are also gonna have water available for the kids. There’s a first aid station just in case, and there’s gonna be multiple food items as an option for people to enjoy.

Paul Ward (03:06):

And what, what age group is this? Is this elementary, middle school, high school?

Dave Drumright (03:12):

It’s fourth grade through eighth grade. And Mo all of the Pleasant Valley schools, it’s called the Pleasant Valley School District in Camarillo. And there’s 12 schools involved with that. Then there’s St. St. Mary Magdalene, which is a private school. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>. And then the two Soma Schools, Soma Elementary and Macy Union. So there’s 15 total schools. Wow. And this and this. Yeah. It sounds like this year we’re gonna have a big group, so we’re expecting possibly 500 kids.

Paul Ward (03:43):

Wow. That’s a lot. Now do all these kids participate in track on their, on their school teams or is this kind of a, Hey, I’m thinking about track, or I just wanna do this one time thing? Or is it kind of a combination?

Dave Drumright (03:56):

It’s a combination. Some of the kids are on the track team are on the local Cosmos, which is the local community track team, and some of them participate in those organizations. Others have no clue and they thought this would be a great idea for Saturday. And my friends are doing it. And so we’ve found that those kids really enjoy the track meet and some have gone on to great misses and even gotten college scholarships in on and track

Paul Ward (04:25):

Really. So they come for the Hap Rapp tournament, they’ve never done it before. They realize they like it Yes.

Dave Drumright (04:32):

Just

Paul Ward (04:32):

By chance. And then they go on to high school track team and even get college scholarships.

Dave Drumright (04:38):

Yes.

Paul Ward (04:40):

And what, what activities are there at the track meet? Is it, is it running relays? Is it what, which, which activities?

Dave Drumright (04:49):

Well we start the day at eight o’clock with the local Boy Scout troop who’s gonna present the colors. We’ve got a gal who’s a student at one of the schools gonna sing the national anthem. And this year we’re gonna have the it’s a peace baton for a local rotary. And our district, our district is 52 40 and there’s a peace baton that’s gonna be passed between clubs to promote peace throughout the community and the world. Nice. And this peace baton is gonna be featured at our track meet this week, is it this Saturday. And so it’s gonna be unique peace to the track meet that we’ve never done before. And so we’re gonna have the, the peace baton and we’re gonna run that around the track and get some photos of course, and promote peace. But as far as the events for the meet itself, we’re gonna start with the 1600 meters.

Dave Drumright (05:41):

And then we, at the same time, we’re gonna do the long jump and the high jump for the fourth and fifth graders. And then they’ll switch and we’ll do the older kids for the long jump and high jump for the sixth, seventh, and eighth graders, which is middle school. Okay. And then scattered throughout the day, we’re gonna have the shot put event, which will be held for sixth, seventh, and eighth graders, the middle schoolers only for safety reasons. And then there’s gonna be some sprints and dash races in the middle of the day, as well as relays, which are always the highlight at the end of the day.

Paul Ward (06:20):

Wonderful. So it’s a, it’s an action packed full day, basically running the gamut with every kind of track meet activity.

Dave Drumright (06:29):

That’s correct. And

Paul Ward (06:30):

Did you say, did you say pole vaulting or high high jump?

Dave Drumright (06:35):

There’s gonna be high jump, no pole vaulting. They’re a little small for that and a little young for that, and it’s kind of dangerous. So but there will be high jumping. Yes. We’re gonna have three high jump pits. And Camarillo High School has generously donated their their track in their field and their high jump pit. So they’re high jump pit state of the art. We’re gonna be bringing in two additional high jump pits from the local junior high school.

Paul Ward (07:02):

Wonderful. And what’s the date of this, this next hat Wrap Memorial.

Dave Drumright (07:06):

Saturday may the 18th starts at eight o’clock sharp. And not sure when we’ll get out of there, but sometimes it, it’s two 30 or three, sometimes it’s four or five. So it just depends on the wind. Of course. That’s always a factor. And then also the number of kids. So.

Paul Ward (07:23):

Wonderful. And you said maybe up to 500 kids this year?

Dave Drumright (07:26):

Yes. 15 schools up to 500 kids. Wow.

Paul Ward (07:29):

That would be a record, wouldn’t it?

Dave Drumright (07:31):

I think it would be,

Paul Ward (07:32):

Yeah. So obviously several hundred parents and Yes. Family members and siblings coming out to cheer them on.

Dave Drumright (07:39):

Yes. We have a a program that we do every year. It’s a eight page program, and it has a list of all the records. ’cause We’ve been keeping track since 1960. So we have all the records for all the events for each of the grades separated by boys and girls. So these kids can shoot for records and if they get a record, then they’ll be featured in next year’s program. And also we’ve got, at the end of the meet, we keep track of all the events that the kids do and the overall winners in each grade. Boys and girls will receive about a, about a three foot trophy. So it’s pretty nice. Wow. And they, they get that to keep. And of course, ribbons will be given from first place through fifth place for all events.

Paul Ward (08:27):

Wonderful. And then of course, you’re also organizing all the volunteers who, this is not their main thing, right? They’re kind of running around as newbies and novices and kind of looking to you for, for guidance,

Dave Drumright (08:42):

<Laugh>. That’s correct. Yeah. It’s it’s like herding cats, you know, you’ve heard the expression Oh yeah. But also with the adults. ’cause A lot of people didn’t do track and field when they were in high school. I did. I thought it was great. And, you know, I got cut from the baseball team. I couldn’t hit a ball, but man, I could sure run. And so I didn’t know that until I got cut. So it was a blessing in disguise. Interesting. And so a lot of people don’t understand all the little tricky nuances about track and field, but we’ve had many volunteers that done repeat performances so they know what to do now. Right. So it works a lot, lot smoother.

Paul Ward (09:18):

And track is kind of like one of those sports where it’s like, hurry up and wait. Right. It’s very exciting when it’s happening, but there’s kind of that downtime in between each activity.

Dave Drumright (09:28):

Right. And that’s why we tried to fill the gaps with some, we changed the lineup of some of the events, so there’s always something going on in the track. So it should be exciting for all. And I encourage everyone to come out and see it. And even if they can’t spend the entire day, at least come out for a little while.

Paul Ward (09:44):

Very cool. And again, that is Saturday, May 18th, correct?

Dave Drumright (09:49):

Camarillo

Paul Ward (09:49):

High School? Yes. Wonderful.

Dave Drumright (09:51):

Yeah. It’s gonna be awesome.

Paul Ward (09:53):

Well, Dave Drumright, thanks so much for being our guest and sharing some information on the, on the Half Wrap Memorial. We’ll definitely tune in and, and share some pictures.

Dave Drumright (10:02):

Sounds great. All right. Well thanks again, Paul. I appreciate the interview.

Paul Ward (10:06):

All right, Dave. Thanks so much. Okay,

Dave Drumright (10:07):

Bye.