8th Annual Office Chair Race Set for July 4

The unofficial San Clemente July 4 Office Chair Race will kickoff Thursday afternoon in downtown San Clemente, organizers say on their website.

The race, which starts in the neighborhood near the corner of Ola Vista and Avenida Rosa and runs down Victoria to the San Clemente Pier, began in 2005 as an impromptu party activity. It has grown in popularity and credibility since.

Now, residents fill out entry forms and engineer elaborate soap-box-derby-type vehicles incorporating office chairs and goofy costumes. This year, the race is sponsored by Office Star Products and all the proceeds go to the Family Assistance Ministries local food bank and social services nonprofit.

This year, the race is also dedicatied to the late Larry Keagon, according to the race website. 

"We are also sad to inform our followers that we lost former Boeing aircraft builder and race chair design consultant 'Papa Larry' Keagon during the off season," the site states. "We will miss his input, his July 4th hat, but most of all his cheering and laughter from the sidelines."

The race still retains an impromptu feel -- there is no official start time other than sometime in the afternoon when people show up, the site states.