Organizations Dashboard

For the May 2, 2026 Duck Race, each of our Participating Organizations is required to provide at least one adult volunteer, to take on one of the following tasks.  Most of this is fun – and if more than one person wants to sign up from your organization, please do so — the more the better.  We need everyone, to have the best Duck Race ever!

You may request a specific task and we will try, but can’t guarantee, to assign you to your choice.

Whoever signs up for a task, must show up and stay until the task is completed.  This is crucial and is a requirement for your Organization to participate in any future Duck Race.  If for any reason you can’t come to perform your assigned job after all, you are responsible to provide a replacement.  The safe and smooth operation of the Duck Race depends on every one of our wonderful volunteers being where they need to be. 

One final thought: the volunteer doesn’t have to be on your organization’s own staff.  It can be one of your organization’s volunteers, or a relative, friend, or other person you know, who wants to help with the Duck Race.   They just have to be reliable, since they are fulfilling your organization’s commitment to provide a volunteer.

Tasks available for our volunteers include any of the following:

1. Set up on May 1 (the day before Race Day): The Town will deliver 35 eight-foot tables and 70 chairs to the Visitor Center sometime in the afternoon of Friday, May 1.  We need 6 – 8 volunteers for an hour or two that afternoon (Friday, May 1) to carry and set up the tables and place the chairs with the tables on the grounds of the Visitor Center.  (It generally takes two people to carry one of these tables.)

2. Merchandise sales: Help sell Duck themed merchandise on Race Day at the tent on Visitor Center grounds.   

3. Duck Squat ticket sales. We need two volunteers to sell tickets for the Duck Squat on the grounds of the Visitor Center on Race Day.

4. River security on Race Day:

1. We need 12 Sweeper volunteers. Sweepers will walk in the river following the last ducks from the Start Line at Performance Park, to the finish line at the Visitor Center, sweeping any stray ducks along.  Waders will be provided to the Sweepers for use during the Race.  No previous experience necessary, but need to be able to walk through sometimes slippery rocks and/or uneven river bed.

1. We need 50 – 60 River Patrol volunteers. River patrol volunteers are assigned to one of several zones along the sides of the river, and from the shore they use toy scoops and rakes provided by the Duck Race to push the ducks away from obstacles, keep children away from the riverbank (safety!), and remind people to refrain from touching the ducks or throwing anything into the river.  River patrol do not go in the river and will not get wet, but they do need to be able to walk along the river bank, which in part can be uneven terrain.

1. We would like to have 3-5 Deputies, each assigned to one of the river zones.  The Deputy for each zone will communicate information with workers (starting time, equipment, check-in procedures, etc.), meet and organize workers at check-in on Race Day, and oversee that river zone on Race Day from first duck until all ducks are past the zone.

1. Finish Line. We need 20-25 volunteers to stand in the river at the finish line to scoop up ducks in the order they arrive.  This may involve long periods of time standing in the water, so Finish Line volunteers need physical stamina.  Waders will be provided.

1. Check-in for these river security positions is 10:00 a.m. on Race Day, with the first ducks to drop into the river at 11:00 a.m. There will be two races of approximately 5,000 ducks each, and then a final run-off race for the 500 ducks that have won their first race.  Duty ends for Sweepers when the last duck has completed the final race.  Duty ends for River Patrol and Deputies when all ducks have passed your assigned river zone.  Each of the 3 races should take anywhere between 40 minutes and an hour, depending on the river current and water levels, and there will be approximately an hour break in between each of the 3 races.  So, river security volunteers will be on duty from check-in at 10:00 a.m., until all ducks in the 3^rd (run-off) final race have passed the volunteer’s station or have crossed the finish line, as the case may be.

5. Take down on Race Day: We need 4-6 volunteers to help take down tents, banners and signs, and fold up and return tables and chairs to the Town drop-off point at the Visitor Center when the race has ended (probably around 4:00 or 4:30 p.m.) on Race Day.  This could take one or two hours.

6. For anyone unable to work on Race Day, you can help to solicit merchant prizes. This will take place in March and April.  Further details to be provided to anyone wishing to do this.

If you have questions, please email Beth Weisberg, Duck Race Volunteer Coordinator, at volunteers@epduckrace.org .