Duck Derby to raise money for Arizona Humane Society

By DIANA PARKER
TODAY’S NEWS-HERALD
Rubber duckies aren’t exactly built for speed. Nevertheless, hundreds of them will take to the water Sunday to race and raise money for the Western Arizona Humane Society. The annual London Bridge Days Duck Derby kicks off at 1 p.m. under the London Bridge. Rubber ducks will be available for purchase up to the time racing
begins. The price is $5 per duck or $35 for a “quack pack,” which includes five ducks and a T-shirt. The ducks will race four heats on Bridgewater Channel with the top 10 ducks from each heat advancing to the final round. Prizes are $1,000 for the first-place duck, $250 for second place and $100 for third. The last duck to float
across the finish line wins its owner $50. During the event 75 golden duck decoys, purchased by area businesses and organizations for $100, also will race. Thirty-eight of those corporate participants decorated ducks and competed for trophies at Wednesday’s Duck Tail party in Shugrue’s Bridgeview Room. This year’s theme
was “Disco Duck.” (See sidebar.) WAHS Executive Director Victoria Cowper said the Duck Derby is her organization’s major fundraiser of the year. She anticipates the event will raise $20,000- $25,000. You may contact the reporter at dparker@havasunews. com.

FOLLOWUP STORY

American Legion wins corporate duck race

By DAVID BELL
TODAY’S NEWS-HERALD
The crowd cheered, the ducks floated and in the end it was the shelter animals that came out the winner. The 16th annual Duck Derby, a major fundraiser for the Western Arizona Humane Society went off without a hitch Sunday, as crowds cheered on their ducks for a chance to win $1,000. The rubber ducks were dumped into
the Bridgewater Channel and propelled along a buoyed course by the propulsion provided by a boat from Ralph Howe Auto Sales. The finish line boat courtesy
of Havasu Motor Sports then picked up the ducks. Helene Dorais’ duck came in first, netting her the $1,000 top prize. Linda Gromov’s duck came in second for $250, Linda Rosseta received $100 for third and the last duck to cross the finish line earned David Zimmerman $50.“The public had a lot of fun,” said WAHS executive director Victoria Cowper. “The spirit was really up this year.” A steady stream of jokes and patter from Dallas Finch, who announced the event from his boat in the channel, kept up spirits. Finch is the general manager of Kokomos nightclub in the London Bridge Resort and the Resort’s newly acquired Red Room nightclub.
“What a great event,” said Doris Goodale of Kingman. Goodale, a Kingman resident and vice chair of Mohave Substance abuse, Treatment, Education and Prevention Partnership anti-methamphetamine group, was in Lake Havasu City to participate with the Republican party in the London Bridge Days Parade Saturday.“The parade and then the Fall Fun Fair was amazing,” she said. “Now this (Duck Derby) is so unique. There’s such a sense of community in Lake Havasu City.” A popular portion of the Duck Derby each year is the corporate duck competition. With this year’s theme of disco, watchers were treated to flotillas of ducks on the dance floor, Donald Duck doing the Hustle with Barbie dolls and even an Elvis duck. But patriotism was the big winner, as the red, white and blue duck of American Legion Post 81 took first place and bragging rights for the year. Next up for WAHS is the Home for the Holidays Dog Walk on Dec. 15.“It will take place on Main Street (McCulloch
Boulevard) from 4-6 p.m. with booths for information and accessories,” said Cowper. “The goal is to get shelter animals placed in homes for the holidays.”
WAHS participated in Home for the Holidays Dog Walk for the first time last year. The national program placed more than 350,000 shelter animals in homes
between Thanksgiving and Christmas. You may contact the reporter at dbell@havasunews. com.