Rotary Club Duck Derby kicks off

The Rotary Club of Graham kicked off their online rubber duck sales Monday for the Duck Derby being held at the end of September at Fireman’s Park in Graham. The club is looking to sell 10,000 ducks to race at the event with prizes for first, second, third and for dead duck last.

Last year due to COVID-19, the event was changed and broke a Guinness World Record for the longest row of rubber ducks which were lined up on the downtown square. The previous Guinness World Record holder was achieved June 5, 2011, in Seattle, Wash., with a total of 17,782 ducks measuring 1.6 km (1 mile) long. The club was able to overcome this record Sept. 19, 2020, with a total of 19,919 rubber ducks lined up on the square.

“Last year, COVID kind of threw a kink in things, but the board led last year by Mrs. Sarah Lundgren did a great job of adapting. They pivoted and they threw a great event on the square (and) it was a great success. We hold the Guinness World Record for the longest line of rubber ducks, so I think that was a great, great thing,” Rotary Club President John Brown said. “COVID has kind of eased up a little, although right now it’s kind of picking up a little bit, so we are able to go back to the park this year. The city has made some improvements to Fireman’s Park, just some controlling of the vegetation that has really opened up another area of the park that wasn’t really accessible before. So now this year we are going to be back at the park racing ducks on the pond in an area that we haven’t done traditionally.”

Rubber ducks are available to be purchased online for the race at duckrace.com/graham. Single duck purchases are $5, a quack pack of six ducks costs $25, a quacker’s dozen of 12 ducks costs $50 and a flock of 24 ducks costs $100.

For the rest of the story, see the Aug. 21 edition of The Graham Leader.