Ducks proved lucky for Lions Club

 

 

The first annual Lions Club Rubber Duck race took place Sept. 3 raising approximately $1,200 for the organization. 

 

According to Lions Club president Stefanie Doaty, all of the funds will stay within the community for things like scholarships, hearing aids, eyeglasses and natural disasters. 

 

The race event sold out all 500 ducks and a generous anonymous donor allowed for an increase in prize money for winning ducks.

 

The event itself drew people from all over the community excited to see their ducks race. Prior to the race, Roxann Du Bois said with a very emphatic gesture, “I’m expecting my duck to win.”

 

Less optimistic were people like Pat Forrer who was hoping her duck would do better than she would in the creek. “I can’t swim. I hope my duck does better,” she said jokingly. “Hopefully my ducks don’t come in last.”

 

 Nikki Sandven also wasn’t too optimistic about her duck taking one of the top three spots. “I’m hoping for at least the top ten,” Sandven said. 

 

Like many people at the race, she had not named her duck. Getting into the spirit, like so many were, she cheered it on.

 

 Justin Duprey and his brother watched the race closely and also was not expecting his duck, number 41, to win. “He’s probably not going to win because there’s 500 ducks,” he said.

 

The duck race itself took about 35 minutes to complete. While all the ducks were dumped in at the same time, some ducks pulled ahead of the others early on.

 

 Duck number 163 got off to a very good start until it got stuck by two rocks, rolling over itself repeatedly and falling behind the pack. 

 

Duck number 124 took an early lead as well.

 

Children could be heard shouting, “He’s in the lead!” As they ran up and down the creek, thye wistfully announced, “He got stuck” and chanted, ”Go blue go.” 

 

Adults too got into the  spirit of the event. Sun Anderson requested a version of Sesame Street Ernie’s “Rubber Duckie, You’re the One,” from entertainer Brent Morris. Morris, however, did not know that particular song.

 

Like the children, adults kept tabs on the ducks, asking, “Who is  in the lead?” and “are they close to the finish?”

 

Some ducks floated sideways so that their bottoms, where the numbers were visible, could be seen. Other ducks made their way upright. Halfway through the course duck number 82 or 28 depending on your vantage point, took the lead. But it got caught up in some reeds around a corner.

 

 A clear winner emerged, despite several ducks getting hung up at the end of the course. Duck number 480 took first place by quite a significant margin. Its lucky duck owner is Bob Labor.

 

Second place was duck 256, belonging to Bob Batterman. Jeanie Kirkpatrick’s duck number 337 took third place.