Great Drake Park Duck Race returns Sept. 13; tickets benefit Central Oregon charities
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The 37th annual Great Drake Park Duck Race, a fundraiser supporting local community charities, is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 13, in Bend. Tickets for the event, which has raised more than $2 million for local nonprofit organizations since the late 1980s, go on sale June 26. Participants in the race have the chance to win over $18,000 in prizes, including a $5,000 cash grand prize.
This year's ticket sale proceeds will directly benefit Friends of the Children, KIDS Center, Saving Grace and Family Kitchen. The Great Drake Park Duck Race is presented by local Rotary clubs and sponsored by Credit Unions Working Together, a collaboration of First Community, Mid Oregon, OnPoint, Ore. Community and SELCO Credit Unions.
Duck race raffle tickets are available for $5 each. Purchases can be made at various locations, including First Community, Mid Oregon, OnPoint, Ore. Community and SELCO Credit Union branches. Tickets are also offered online at www.theduckrace.com. Throughout the summer, local Rotarians and the event's duck mascot will promote ticket sales in the community, appearing at venues such as Newport Avenue Market.
A total of 20 prizes, with a combined value exceeding $18,000, will be raffled during the event. The Grand Prize winner will receive $5,000 in cash. Other prizes include season passes to Hoodoo Ski Area, a wine fridge from Johnson Brothers Appliances and diamond earrings from Saxon's Fine Jewelers.
On Sunday, Sept. 13, thousands of brightly colored ducks will float down the river to determine the prize winners.
Beyond the presenting and supporting credit unions, a wide array of businesses serve as prize sponsors, including Hoodoo Ski Area, Johnson Brothers Appliances, Saxon's Fine Jewelers, Miller Lumber, Widgi Creek, Sounds Fast, The Fraker Group at Cross Country Mortgage, Loud & Clear AV, Marsh McLennan Agency, Les Schwab Tire Centers, Stillwater Fly Shop, Ace Hardware and Stellar Realty NW. Media sponsors supporting the event include Central Oregon Daily News, News Channel 21, KQAK! 105.7, Carlson Sign, The Source Weekly, Cascade Business News, Bend Radio Group (Mix 100.7, KSJJ 102.9, Power 94, 92.9, BackyardBend, BackyardMedia) and Combined Communications (99.7 The Bull, FM News 100.1 and AM 1110 KBND, Gold 107.7, Rock 98.3 The Twins, 101.7). In-kind support is provided by Carlson Sign, 3BK/Sign Pro, Humore.us, S&K Inflatable Rentals and Smartz.
