The second annual Tombigbee Duck Race will take place this Saturday at the Columbus Riverwalk. Thousands are expected to turn out for the event in hopes of having a “million-dollar duck” cross the finish line first. The event is the main fund-raiser for Columbus-Lowndes Habitat for Humanity.
John Acker, one of the organizers of the event, said approximately 2,500 yellow rubber ducks have been sold or “adopted” for Saturday’s event. At a cost of $5 a piece, one of the ducks could potentially have a million dollar pay-out. There is a guaranteed winner of $5,000. Last year 7,500 ducks participated in the race and Acker said he and fellow organizers hoped to have 10,000 ducks in this year’s race.
“Duck sales are going well. We had a goal of 10,000 and I’ve got faith it’s going to come through,” Acker said. “There are still ducks available and they’re selling fast.”
Acker, a former Habitat for Humanity board member, said he stumbled across the unique fund-raiser when the organization was looking for something to replace their annual golf tournament.
“It was one just one of those things where you thought, ‘This is perfect.’ It was branding,” he said. “We were trying to create a brand. Habitat had no identity in the community from a branding standpoint. Now, when people think about the duck race, they think Habitat.”
Acker said the event will kick off at 10 a.m. as a “family fun day.” Food and drink vendors will be set up while spectators can listen to the music of Keith and Margie, Jeffrey Rupp and Dawn Barham. There will also be a kid zone set up with inflatables, clowns, face painting and an area designated for a water gun war.
At 2 p.m. a dump truck will drop the ducks form the top of the Island Road Bridge. The ducks will float approximately 100 yards down the river before being caught by a net, Acker said. The owner of the first duck to reach the finish line will win $5,000. In order to win the million dollar prize, the “lucky duck” must be a pre-selected duck that crosses the finish line in a certain position. Last year, the lucky duck would have had to come in 10th place. Organizers have not yet picked a lucky duck spot for this year’s event.
Acker said the buzz created from the event has been an encouraging sign.
“People are excited about it,” he said. “It’s one of those things; it’s another great cause that people want to help you with. People are wonderful, business are wonderful in helping us sponsor the event. People are very generous and we’re very thankful and grateful for that.”
Ducks can be adopted online at tombigbeeduckrace.com until Friday evening. If there are any ducks remaining, they can be purchased Saturday morning. The winner does not have to be present to win.
Sarah Fowler covered crime, education and community related events for The Dispatch.
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