Duck race nets nearly $2500

By Brent Baker • August 28, 2014 8:23 am

Duck-Race-dump-35TONASKET – It’s just a drop of water in a very big pool, but it all helps.

The Tonasket Pool Committee’s rubber duck race – a fundraiser for the Tonasket swimming pool project that likely will cost around $2 million – brought in $2,465.

Duck-Race-dump-closeup-35The race, on Saturday, Aug. 23, featured 493 ducks that were purchased by project supports. They were dumped off the Fourth Street Bridge into the Okanogan River and “raced” to the boat launch at the south end of Chief Tonasket Park, where they were scooped out of the water by a legion of volunteers.

The big winner was KK Young of Shelton, who claimed both first and third prizes (donating her winnings back to the pool). Dave Mitchell of Tonasket owned the second-place duck.

“(It) won’t build our new swimming pool,” said organizer Karen Stangland. “But I hope it will continue to promote our cause. We are serious about building a new pool for the community. Now that summer is ending, we can’t forget about the pool.”

Confluence Health (formerly North Valley Family Medicine) has also donated $1,500, and the Tonasket Garden Club voted to donate $500.

Duck-Race-budley-35
Bud McSpadden (serving as race announcer), and a host of volunteers including finish line judges and duck scoopers, await the approach of the racing rubber ducks at Chief Tonasket Park.

“We have been receiving donations and pledges,” Stangland said. “We thank all of those contributors. Now, we’re asking the rest of you to step up and make donations and pledges.”

She pointed out that the donations, even small ones, are key, because as the committee applies for grant it is finding that most of them require matching funds.

“The more we collect locally,” she said, “the easier it will be to apply. It shows that the community is supporting the endeavor.”

For more information, visit the website www.tonasketpool.com.