1st Annual Duck Derby 2016 Hosted by Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon
PDF VersionThe Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel hosted the 1st Annual Duck Derby. The Duck Derby race was held 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 21, 2016 behind Hungry Harry’s Family BBQ, 3116 Land O Lakes Blvd, Land O’ Lakes, FLA.
About 2,000 rubber ducks were dumped into Lake Padgett. The Webelos of Cub Scout Pack No. 149 in Wesley Chapel helped build the duck derby course. They tied square knots to link together the noodles that marked the course’s boundaries.
The race started with a push from a high-pressured fire hose in the water. Prizes went to donors whose ducks were among the first 68 to hit the finish line. But, the true winners were the community organizations that will receive donations from the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon. There were over a hundred people in attendance. The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel plans on having the Duck Derby annually.
Families enjoyed live music and dined from a buffet of Hungry Harry’s barbecue, beans, chicken, and macaroni and cheese. The ducks were adopted at prices ranging from $5 for a single duck to $100 for a flock of 25.
In all, 68 prizes were handed out including a $2,500 grand prize to Brian and Isabelle Dunleavy. Other prizes included a fishing trip for five with a charter boat captain, two nights at Saddlebrook Resort, a $250 certificate for automobile repairs from TWA Firestone, a wine basket, pet grooming, and bowling games from Royal Lanes. Derby sponsors included Fun Services of Land O’ Lakes, Sam’s Club, Cash 4 Gold, The Laker/Lutz News, and Hungry Harry’s Family Bar-B-Que.
The duck derby race is a method of FUNdraising for organizations worldwide. People donate money to the organization by adopting/sponsoring a Duck. At the end of the fundraising drive, all of the ducks are dumped into a waterway, with the first ducks to float past the finish line,
winning prizes from a sponsors.
What are you raising Funds for?
What’s also great about this fantastic and fun event is that the proceeds of the race go to Local and International projects that our Rotary Club supports such as:
- Literacy and Education – Exchange Students & Pasco Education Fund
- Hunger and Nutrition – Feeding the less fortunate
- Families and Children – Everyday Blessing & Farmworkers Self Help
- Housing and Shelter – Habitat for Humanity & Sunrise Women Shelter
- Health and Wellness – Eradicating Polio, Feeding and Clothing the Homeless, and Installing Water Filters in 3rd world countries.
