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Dolly Madison Race ASGRA's own Dolly Madison Race is a humorously updated reenactment of the historic flight of Dolly Madison from the White House during the War of 1812. Each team of three persons attempts to save the nation's "treasures" from the threat of marauding British brutes by locating items of "great historic import" from the "White House" setup in the arena. The team members then spirit them away to safety in "Maryland" and "Virginia". Each team consists of three persons: a Dolly Madison and her two helpers. Teams may be composed of any combination of men and women. Costumes and props will be supplied, but individuals are free to provide their costuming for Dolly, if they so desire. The team assembles at the starting line (1) with Dolly wearing a dress, a wig and pumps. Each of Dolly's helpers are given the names of two items in the trunk which must be saved from the White House and taken to their home state. These "treasures" can consist of anything from an 8 track tape to a black frying pan to a pair of blue pumps (shoes). At the starting signal, team members run to their respective homes, Dolly to the White House (2), one team member to Maryland (3), and the other to Virginia (4). On arriving in their home states, Dolly's helpers each don a dress and wig waiting for them, then race to the White House. Each must cross a barrier located in his or her path, a boat on tracks (lower photo) across the Potomac River on the Virginia side (5) and a picket fence across the fields of Maryland (6). Dolly, who has hopefully located her items in the White House trunk, quickly hands them off to the appropriate team member.
Her helpers return to their home states, drop off the treasures and then return to the White House to help Dolly escape. From the White House, the entire team flees across the Potomac into Virginia with the exhausted Dolly being carried across both the river and the finish line. |
