Reedy River Duck Derby will be virtual event on May 1
The quack is back as an Upstate tradition returns for a virtual event from Falls Park on the Reedy on Saturday, May 1.
The 17th Annual Reedy River Duck Derby sponsored by the Rotary Club of the Reedy River Greenville will be held virtually as WSPA’s Gordon Dill kicks off the event via Facebook Live at 9:30 am from Falls Park in downtown Greenville. Club members will then go to service projects at United Ministries and Project Host Soup Kitchen, posting project updates via Facebook throughout the morning. At 2:30 pm, Dill will be back at Falls Park to announce the winners of the virtual duck race.
“The pandemic has given us a unique opportunity to highlight the service that the club does,” said the club’s past president Jessica Smith. “A lot of people don’t know that the dollars we raise in the Duck Derby go to local community charities and our club then goes to volunteer there.”
In a non-pandemic year, about 10,000 ducks float down the Reedy River, with The Rotary Club of the Reedy River Greenville raising between $50,000 and $100,000 for local charities, according to club officials. The goal for this year’s virtual event is 5,000 ducks.
Duck adoptions may be made at reedyriverduckderby.com for $10 per duck or $30 for five entries. The winner of the Duck Derby will receive a year’s worth of free groceries from Publix. Second prize is a $2500 cash prize from The Rotary Club of Reedy River Greenville and third prize is a one-night stay at the new Grand Bohemian Hotel overlooking Falls Park.
“Everyone enjoys Derby Day in Falls Park and the chance to win a prize,” said club president Theresa Calabrese. “By going virtual this year, our club is keeping in mind the health and safety of our community, while also demonstrating why duck adoptions matter so much. The funds raised are a direct infusion into organizations which know the needs of the community and can expertly fill them.”
The Rotary Club of Reedy River Greenville, a service organization of local businessmen and women, holds the Reedy River Duck Derby annually as its primary community service project.
For more information and to adopt a duck, go HERE.
