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Lots of winners in PT Duck Derby

Published 5:06 am Monday, June 4, 2007

By Evan Cael

PORT TOWNSEND – A slow migration of 6,899 yellow, sunglasses-wearing rubber duckies floated to shore during Sunday’s second annual Save Our Sports Duck Derby, but there could be only one grand prize winner.

That duck belonged to Poulsbo-based Fred Hill Materials.

Dan Baskins, Fred Hill spokesman, said Sunday that the gravel mining company would be donating the $3,000 grand prize back to the sports programs of Port Townsend High School and Blue Heron Middle School, the beneficiaries of the derby fundraiser.

He said the company had purchased a $125 “very important duck” package, which got the company 25 ducks in the race.

“It’s good for the kids,” Baskins said.

Organizers of the event, held in the bay near the Port Townsend Marine Science Center at Fort Worden State Park, said without such a fundraiser, youth sports programs would be at risk of being cut from lack of funding.

Cici Rennie, a 17-year-old junior at Port Townsend High School who plays soccer and track and field, said losing sports programs would be devastating for the students.

She said many students seek college sports scholarships, and without high school sports programs, “that wouldn’t have been even an opportunity.”

Sunday’s event raised a gross amount of $31,780, with 1,292 different people purchasing the ducks, organizers said.

Monica Kelly, mother to a junior at Port Townsend High School and a sixth grader at Blue Heron Middle school, both of whom play school sports, bought 50 ducks.

“This is one of the best fundraisers I’ve ever been involved in,” Kelly said.

She said sports provides her children invaluable self-esteem and fun after school activities.

Port Townsend High School students dumped nearly 7,000 small ducks, each with a serial number printed on it to identify it, into the water at 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

An audience of about 100 people lined the pier overlooking the floating ducks, some with fingers crossed on the beach, in hopeful anticipation.

After about 10 minutes, one by one, the ducks began crossing the finish line into a catch zone, a clear tube with a hatch to grab the lucky ducks that earned prizes for their owners.

There were 12 prizes in all:

  • Grand prize: $3,000 – Fred Hill Materials

  • Second place prize: $1,000 from 7 Cedars Casino – Herb Enfield

  • Third place prize: A year of free coffee from Grounds For Perfection – Bob Palmer

  • Fourth place prize: A weekend stay at Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa – Herb Enfield

  • Fifth place prize: A $500 gift certificate to Les Schwab Tires  Bud O’Meakia

  • Sixth place prize: Four Seattle Mariners tickets  Homer Smith

  • Seventh place prize: A $100 gift certificate to Swain’s Outdoor  Sally Holm

  • Eighth place prize: A $100 gift certificate to Swain’s Outdoor  Seton Construction

  • Ninth place prize: A $100 gift certificate to Swain’s Outdoor  Eric Frederickson

  • 10th place prize: A $100 gift certificate to Swain’s Outdoor  Chris Edler

  • 11th place prize: A round picnic table donated by Costco  Mike Shubert

  • 12th place prize: A $50 gift certificate to Swain’s Outdoor  Mark Buldock

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