Ducks are on sale now for the 24th annual Duck Derby presented by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and racers once again have the opportunity to win a 2013 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck or a Toyota Corolla, provided by Wilder Toyota.
Forty total prizes worth more than $25,000 will be up for grabs this year, with proceeds benefiting Olympic Medical Center’s Obstetrics and New Family Services through the Olympic Medical Center Foundation and the Sequim Rotary Club’s charitable projects. This year’s duck race will feature the slogan “Buy a Duck and Help an Infant.”
Duck tickets can be purchased from members of the OMC Foundation, many Olympic Medical Center employees, Sequim Rotary Club members and the Forks Soroptimist International of the Olympic Rainforest, as well as countless volunteers who pitch in to raise money for these worthwhile projects.
The race will be held at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, June 9, at the pond at Lincoln Park in Port Angeles, where all “adoptive parents” will have a chance to win prizes.
“The time, effort, labor and equipment that various groups put into the Duck Derby, to make this event successful year after year, shows how each of us contributes to make this area such a great place to live. So many individuals and organizations are tireless with their donations and work in this community to help make it what it is,” said Bob Lovell, Duck Derby co-chairman along with Rick Smith.
“It’s a pretty awesome sight to see 30,000 ducks dumped into the pond for the race,” added Lovell. “It’s not really about expecting to win, it’s just knowing that you’re donating to worthy causes that matters. Winning is secondary.”
Each duck ticket will cost $5. For $25, adopters receive an extra duck (six chances to win) in the race.
Just prior to the main race at 1 p.m. The Bub and Alice Olsen Very Important Duck (VID) Race will be held, which is an opportunity for businesses and individuals, including those from outside the peninsula who do business with local companies, to purchase special VID ducks emblazoned with their logo, for $250 and $500 each. On race day, the Kids’ Pavilion, KONP’s live radio announcement of the winners, and refreshments will add to the excitement.
How the Duck Derby works:
For each duck that’s adopted, the purchaser receives a ticket with a printed number, which corresponds to a number on the duck. All of the numbered ducks are dumped into the Lincoln Park pond on race day and the “owners” of the first 42 ducks to cross the finish line will win prizes.
For more information, potential owner/racers can contact the Olympic Medical Center Foundation at 417-7144.
