Bill Paquin of Port Angeles is one lucky duck.

Paquin’s yellow rubber duck — one of more than 29,500 entered into the 27th annual Great Olympic Peninsula Duck Derby held May 22 — was the first to float over the finish line, earning Paquin a choice between a 2016 Tacoma pickup truck or Corolla donated by Wilder Toyota of Port Angeles.

The derby was at the Lincoln Park ponds.

Paquin was not present when his victory was announced.

In total, 45 prizes worth about $25,000 were up for grabs this year with proceeds benefiting the Olympic Medical Center Foundation and the Sequim Rotary Club’s charitable projects.

“Most of it goes to the hospital” and is “typically spent on medical equipment,” said Rick Smith, co-chairman of the 27th event, before the race.

The race began as a dump truck full of rubber ducks, which was parked on the bank above the pond, upended its load.

The rush of ducklings were pushed down a chute by streams of water from firehoses operated by firefighters with Port Angeles Fire Department and Clallam County Fire District No. 2.

Many of the ducks stubbornly got hung up in the chute, which was longer than in previous years because the pond has dried up throughout the past month, Smith said.

“It is a little challenging this year because the water level is down so much,” he said.

The horde of ducks that did enter the water at the beginning slowly inched across the pond toward the finish line, an advancing fleet of sun-glassed canards.

One by one, the first 45 ducks to cross the finish line were carefully documented and placed in plastic bags so they could be paired with their ticket owners.

Following the race, crews carefully corralled the ducks and removed them from the pond.

Derby duck winners:

1. Truck or car from Wilder Toyota — Bill Paquin of Port Angeles.

2. $1,000 in cash from 7 Cedars Casino — Dennis Dailey of Port Angeles.

3. $500 in cash from 7 Cedars Casino — Dave Howat of Sequim.

4. Gift card for Marriott Hotel Properties — Cindi Rae Jones, hometown unknown.

5. $200 gift card for Washburn’s General Store — Michael Groark of Port Angeles.

6. $150 gift card for Mobuilt RV — The Oak Table of Sequim.

7. $150 gift card for Forks Outfitters — Bill Jackson of Port Angeles.

8. Five cases of Bedford’s Local Sodas — Teresa Richmond of Port Angeles.

9. Victoria trip for two including round trip Coho tickets & $100 gift card for Victoria Best Western — Wood Harbinger of Bellevue.

10. $100 gift card for Thomas Building Center — Kitsap Bank of Port Angeles.

11. Dinner for Two at LD’s Woodfire Grill — Angela Beebe of Port Angeles.

12. $100 gift card for Baskin Robbins — Dave Bennett of Kent.

13. $100 gift card for Necessities & Temptations — Kendall Casey of Sequim.

14. $100 gift card for Bella Italia — Betty Jaffrey, hometown unknown.

15. $100 gift card for Double Eagle Steak & Seafood or Stymie’s Bar and Grill — St. Vincent de Paul of Port Angeles.

16. $100 gift card for JCPenney — Jesse Coley of Sequim.

17. $100 gift card for Safeway — Todd and Mary Irwin of Port Angeles.

18. $100 gift card for Doodlebugs — Dan Fryer of Sequim.

19. $100 gift card for Swain’s — Joyce Allen of Port Angeles.

20. $100 gift card for Amazon — Westport employee of Port Angeles.

21. $100 gift card for Applebee’s of Sequim — Sheridan Anesthesiology of Florida.

22. $100 worth of gasoline at Bob’s Chevron — Lakeside Industries of Port Angeles.

23. $100 worth of Gasoline at Lovell’s Roadrunner 76 — Rocket Transportation of Sequim.

24. Craftsman Drill Combo from Sears of Sequim — Dave Balfour of Port Angeles.

25. Pedicure and manicure from Laurie Rinehart and five Tan Sessions ­— Donna Pacheco of Port Angeles.

26. $50 gift card for Fiesta Jalisco — T.J. McConahay of Bremerton.

27. 27th Duck Race Anniversary Prize — Win Todd of Port Angeles.

28. $75 gift card for Auto Zone — Alison Agness of Seattle.

29. $50 gift card for Napa Auto Parts — Kevin King of Neah Bay.

30. $50 gift card for C’est Si Bon — Casi Fors of Port Angeles.

31. $50 gift card for H2O Waterfront Bistro — Carol Gentry of Port Angeles.

32. $50 gift card for Chestnut Cottage — Camaraderie Cellars of Port Angeles.

33. $50 gift card for Jim’s Pharmacy — Admiral Northwest Storage of Port Angeles.

34. $50 gift card for Sears of Port Angeles — Andi Halverson of Forks.

35. $50 gift card for Sears Dynasty Chinese Restaurant — Collin McIntee, hometown unknown.

36. $50 gift card for The Mariner Café — Rob Gunn of Port Angeles.

37. $50 gift card for Angeles Millwork & Lumber Company — Vicky Hollane of Port Angeles.

38. $50 gift card for Hartnagel Building Supply — Norma Michaels of Sequim.

39. $50 gift card for Chestnut Cottage — Rinehart Consulting of Port Angeles.

40. $50 gift card for Home Depot — Bruce Guckenberg of Forks.

41. $50 gift card for Next Door Gastropub — Deanna Richert of North Bend.

42. $50 gift card for The Oak Table — Johnson, Rutz & Tassie of Port Angeles.

43. $50 gift card for La Belle Creperie — Ben Templin of La Jolla, Calif.

44. $25 gift card for Applebee’s and a $25 gift card for Black Bear Diner — Jeannie Mustoe, hometown unknown.

45. Cash from Seven Cedars Casino — Ann Reinke of Port Angeles.

Chris McDaniel is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach him at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.