A large crowd, including a host of young parents and their children, came out to Parker Harding Place on Saturday to enjoy Sunrise Rotary’s Great Duck Race. The race is an annual family event the club runs to raise funds it donates to more than 30 nonprofit organizations in Westport and nearby communities, and around the world.
On a nearly ideal day youngsters got their faces painted, painted a small car, built small cars for the Maker Faire’s Nerdy Derby, jumped around in the Bouncy Castle, climbed on the Fire Department’s historic engine, and learned to shoot small marshmallows through DIY plastic blow guns.
New this year was Stew Leonard III Children’s Charities water safety promotion. This nonprofit was the Duck Race’s lead sponsor. Doreen Miner and her volunteer team offered literature to parents and children, telling them “It’s a lapse in supervision – not a lack of supervision” that can lead to a loss of life in pools and at the beach.
Their own duck, Stewie, reminds parents to abide by three water safety rules for children: “Don’t jump in ‘til you learn to swim; wear a safety vest; and have a grown up watching you. Simple, important and effective ways to keep children safe in the water.”
Another new sponsor was Westport Pediatric Dentistry. Dr. Hannah Anh called the Duck Race “a great event for us.” She and partner Dr. Alison Kudish met new people, and Ahn said “we showed a lot of children how to brush properly.” And they offered children the opportunity win an electric toothbrush by picking a numbered duck out of a tub.
The race began shortly after noon, following a fitful start, as a few of the almost 3,000 small yellow plastic ducks slipped under the containment booms. The errant “animals” were retrieved and placed back inside the booms. After the restart a strong breeze blew the ducks against the booms on the west side the river, and the outflowing tide drove them toward the finish line just above the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge.
Westporter Bill Pasqua owned the winning duck’s ticket and took home a $5,000 Visa Gift Card, courtesy of Patriot Bank, and Sunrise club member Cheryl Eldh’s duck won her the $1,000 second place Visa Gift Card. The next eight ducks yielded Visa Gift Cards of $500 each to their ticket holders.
Sunrise Rotary thanks all its ticket buyers and guests at the Great Duck Race, and offers special thanks to its sponsors — Stew Leonard III Children’s Charities; Westport Pediatric Dentistry; Patriot Bank; Webster Bank; Berchem, Moses & Devlin, PC, Attorneys at Law; Garavel; Daigle & Travers Insurance; A.J. Penna& Son; Gault; Amelie Babkie Design; Honda of Westport.