DJDC is hoping to show the area's enthusiasm when the Fireball Run rolls into town Sunday.
Lee Harkness, DJDC executive director, and David Hickman, executive vice president for the Fireball Run, promise an exciting day in Jamestown.
"It is, first of all, a very entertaining sight to behold when you see 40 unique vehicles all driven by business and civic leaders, as well as celebrities, trying to accomplish historic and fun missions," Hickman said. "When you add the component with the race to recover America's missing children, which each one of those vehicles having a missing child poster and distributing missing child posters along the route, it's really a significant cause."
The Fireball Run participants will be in town by early afternoon Sunday. They will be racing around the area, competing in missions, before landing at their final downtown destination.
"All of the 40 teams have different missions to accomplish," Hickman said. "They are in mission envelopes, and they have to figure out the clues to their next destination. So, they are going to be driving around Jamestown, trying to get from one location to the other. Ultimately, the last mission will lead them to the Ice Arena, and that will be the official finish line."
Throughout the day Sunday, Fireball Run participants will be visiting locations such as Panama Rocks, Cummins Engine, the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, Audubon, Fenton History Museum, Robert H. Jackson Center, Infinity Performing Arts Center and the Lucy-Desi Museum.
Third Street in front of the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena will be blocked off to traffic Sunday to accommodate the participants. Harkness encourages the community to come out and look at the Fireball Run vehicles, which will be parked along Lafayette Street. Additionally, he hopes to show the participants how excited Jamestown is to have them.
"We want people to be downtown for them when they get here," Harkness said. "We want people to be here on Monday morning when they leave. We want to encourage people to bring their cars. You could bring sports teams, cheerleaders, so we can just make a lot of hoopla, so it makes them feel good."
The participants will be at the arena by 4:30 Sunday afternoon. The public will be able to meet the participants and view each themed vehicle.
"Feel free to come out and meet the players, find out a little bit about them, see their great cars, take one of those missing child posters," Hickman said. "We've been fortunate enough to aid in the recovery of 38 (missing children) since 2007, and we'd love to have a couple more."
Following the missions, Fireball Run participants will be treated to a dinner and Reception at Jamestown Gateway Station, formerly the Erie-Lackawanna Train Station.
Aside from visiting many area businesses and organizations, Fireball Run participants will be staying at the Best Western on Third Street. Additionally, the Fireball Run will be viewed by 40 million people through web and other broadcasting. A film will also be released Jan. 1.
"This is a real economic development tool," Harkness said. "A lot of these people are businessmen. They may like the area, and they may want to come back here. We want to encourage that."
The Fireball Run will be in Jamestown from the early afternoon Sunday, through 9 a.m. Monday. Harkness encourages the community to line the streets surrounding the arena to cheer on the drivers and the mission of the Fireball Run.