LAPEER, MI — Families gathered around Farmer’s Creek in Lapeer’s Crampton Park Saturday for the annual Rubber Duck Dash.
They saw 3,500 rubber ducks float down the small creek Saturday, Sept. 17, during the Kiwanis Club of Lapeer fundraising event. Families could adopt individual rubber ducks for $5 through raffle tickets in hopes of winning the race.
The audience cheered on their ducks in hopes of winning one of the prizes. This was the fourth year the Kiwanis Club has held the race. The games and activities at the event were free.
“It gives families something to do this time of year,” said Erika Coster, incoming president of the Kiwanis Club of Lapeer.
The adoptee of the first-place duck won $1,000, the runner-up won $500, and $350 was received for the third-place duck.
The event began at 11 a.m. with the sale of race tickets and a “Duck” prayer contest. Several local businesses presented custom-decorated ducks that attendees could vote on.
The duck race started at 2 p.m. with Kiwanis Club members dropping the ducks from a bridge with a plastic tarp holding them.
Funds raised from the event go toward funding future activities and services hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Lapeer. The club is also working to raise funds to build an all-inclusive playground at Rowden Park. The playground will be accessible for children with disabilities.
Kara Lambourn, a board member for the Kiwanis Club of Lapeer, said she started the event after seeing other duck races in the area.
“I love seeing all the kids having fun,” Lambourn said. “We do a lot in the community, so it’s nice to come out and see the kids’ faces having fun.”
This year, several new features have been added to the event, including a free outdoor skating rink and larger bouncy bounce houses.
The water in the creek was low this year, creating a slower race. According to Coster, the Kiwanis Club was unable to get the Lapeer Fire Department to increase the stream’s flow due to ongoing concerns about lead found in Lapeer’s water samples.
Kiwanis Club of Lapeer is hosting Fantasy Forest as its next big event on October 8th. The event will turn Rowden Park into a Halloween themed festival with Food Trucks, a Treat Walk and free Pumpkins.
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