PHILIPSTOWN - A child running past a meeting with a homemade wire car sparked an idea that has grown into one of Philipstown’s biggest community events.
Sixteen years later, the annual WireCar Grand Prix is returning to the Northern Cape town, with this year’s race taking place at the newly renovated Philipstown Foundation headquarters on 12 September.
The race was born during a meeting where Foundation co-founder Kay Fourie and others were discussing the town’s socio-political challenges.
Then, a child ran past them, playing with a wire car.
Fourie says the moment made them realise that while they might not be able to solve all of the community’s problems, they could at least create moments of joy for its children.
That idea became the WireCar Grand Prix, and eventually grew into the Philipstown Foundation, which now focuses on creating opportunities for the town’s youth.
In 2024, the Foundation bought a building in Philipstown. By the end of 2025, it had been transformed into a community hub and e-learning centre.
The building now houses a wire car-making workshop, dance studio and computer centre, while also providing space for the Foundation’s Miss Recycle initiative, where young people create outfits from recycled materials.
Co-founder Alistair King says the vision was always bigger than a single race.
What began as an attempt to put smiles on children’s faces has evolved into a space where young people can learn, create and develop their talents.
This year’s Grand Prix will be the first to be held at the Foundation’s renovated headquarters.
For Fourie, the building has become more than just a venue.
She describes it as a “home away from home” for the community’s youth.
And on 12 September, the wire cars will once again take to the streets -- a reminder of how one child’s simple game helped spark a project that has grown into something much bigger.