Salvation Army and Lime Rock Park?

There was an interesting article yesterday in the Waterbury Republican, noting that the local Salvation Army was sending their youth group to the American LeMans race at Lime Rock Park, in Lakeville, on July 6.

Now, knowing the Salvation Army, you may suspect that the youth group will be armed with their traditional red kettles and be charged with collecting money from the reasonable well-heeled track patrons (after all, admission to the track that day costs $65, so they might just have some spare change for the Salvation Army). Conversely, you might expect that they will whip out band instruments and render a short concert (after all, Judy Collins is doing a concert later in July at the same venue).

No, according to that article, neither is the case. The objective of the visit is so the youth group members can see the race, enjoy a day in the most beautiful race venue anywhere, and perhaps see a religious connection.

Well, this is sports ministry. I find it provocative because my parish church, Trinity Lime Rock, is directly across the street from the Outfield entrance of Lime Rock Park, and during the fifty years we have shared our common location, our two organizations have succeeded in cooperating only in our providing parking for their overflow visitors in our field, and in our clergy delivering occasional invocations at the track.

I'm a little deflated that I have not been able to come up with a sports ministry for our own young people involving Lime Rock Park, while the Salvation Army, forty miles away in Waterbury, has been able to do so.