Duck Race News

2022 Duck Race Seeking Participating Organizations

Calling all Estes Valley nonprofit charities or organizations that would like to share the proceeds of the 2022 Rotary Duck Race Festival! Now’s the time to step up, ask your members if they will sell Duck Adoption Forms, and submit paperwork for consideration by the Rotary Duck Race Festival organizations committee.

Invitations to participate have been mailed to past and potential participating organizations, according to Beth Weisberg, Big Duck for the 2022 Rotary Duck Race Festival. Groups that have not received letters but would like to participate are encouraged to submit an application for consideration. Friday, Dec. 31, 2021 is the deadline for organizations to apply.

“After two years of virtual Duck Races due to the pandemic, this year we are hoping the Race will be back in the river,” said Weisberg. “And this year we are going back to offering adoptions on paper as well as online. Since the brochures containing the names of all participating organizations will be printed very soon after the December 31 application deadline, nonprofit charities and organizations should submit the application soon, to be sure they will be included.”

Once nonprofit charities and organizations have been notified of their selection as participating organizations, they can launch their Duck Adoption sales campaigns. Sales can be conducted online through the Rotary Duck Race Festival website, Facebook page, and the traditional paper Adoption Form. The Rotary Duck Race Festival committee encourages participating organizations to use their own websites, social media and email to extend their sales reach beyond the local community. In 2021 7,198 ducks swam in the Race as a result of duck adoptions sold by participating organizations.

This year’s Duck Race Festival will be held on Saturday, May 7, 2022. Exciting major cash and vacation stay prizes are planned, in addition to hundreds of popular merchant-donated prizes. The 2021 event returned $118,579 to 65 area organizations and groups. Beneficiary organizations receive $19 from every $20 Duck Adoption sold.

Organizations will be selected for the 2022 Duck Race Festival based on the following criteria:
Previous adherence to expectations of being involved in the Duck Race.
Must have a local presence and be of benefit to the local community. Organizations and associations may either hold a valid 501(c)3 or 501(c)4 tax status with the US Internal Revenue Service or be deemed to benefit the local community.
Must agree to sell a minimum of $400 in Duck Adoptions.
Must provide one adult volunteer to help with the Race. This person may be asked to work prior to Race Day or on Race Day (for example, help to set up before the Race or take down after the Race, or help keep the rubber ducks moving down the river during the Race). The adult volunteer provided by the organization need not be on the organization’s staff.

Organizations are strongly encouraged to participate in Race Day activities at George Hix Riverside Plaza on May 7, 2022 by staffing a booth to share information about the organization, sell Duck Adoptions, and offer an interactive activity for event attendees.

“We hope to hear from new organizations as well as those that have been helped by the race in the past 33 years,” said Larry Williams, 2022 Rotary Duck Race Festival Organization Chair. “The Duck Race Festival is a great community event, and being part of it can be fun and profitable for our participating organizations. Working together, we can make 2022 a record year for our nonprofit charities and organizations!”

For additional information or to receive an application form, contact Williams by email at lwilli5442@yahoo.com, U.S. Mail at P.O. Box 1226, Estes Park, CO 80517; or email bigduck@epduckrace.org .

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