City of Clarkesville employee Cameron Gerrin puts the finishing touches on the city of Clarkesville’s Mardi Gras themed duck. (VFL)
Clarkesville will be “swimming” in ducks on Mountain Laurel Day, May 18 when Volunteers for Literacy holds the 2nd Annual Dec A Duck Contest. The contest is open to all VFL Rubber Duck Race sponsors.
This year is VFL’s 30th anniversary and the organization will have 30 Dec A Ducks – one for each year they have been promoting literacy in Habersham County that will ride in the Mt. Laurel Parade before going on display for judging at the VFL Mt. Laurel Day booth. Currently, several are on display in Clarkesville businesses.
“We initiated Dec A Duck last year as a way to increase our Rubber Duck Race sponsorships and to help others understand what we do as a literacy organization,” says Phylecia Wilson, VFL director. “The ‘People’s Choice’ winner last year, Tallulah Falls School, decorated their duck as a teacher and with several small ducks reading different children’s books. “It was so clever!”
While the theme of the duck does not have to be literacy, the organization is hoping to grow the event and have categories in next year’s contest. Literacy definitely will be one of them. Awards are given for Most Creative, Best All Around and People’s Choice.
“Festival attendees can vote for the People’s Choice at our VFL booth on Mt. Laurel Day, which is located next to the gazebo,” Wilson adds. “We also will be selling tickets there for the 8th Annual VFL Rubber Duck Race which will be held again this year at Clarkesville’s Red, White and Tunes concert on May 19 at 7pm.”
In the past, the Duck Race has been held at Mountain Laurel Day but last year due to heavy rains, the Soque was too high and for the safety of those in the river conducting the race, it was postponed until July at Red, White and Tunes. Duck Race chair, Johnny Bailey explained that they decided to continue racing at Red, White and Tunes.
“Being at Pitts Park prior to the event and being able to announce our winners to a large audience is beneficial not only to VFL but to our sponsors,” he states. “So many people don’t understand that VFL promotes literacy in many ways and the money we raise with the VFL Rubber Duck Race helps us to do things like teach English to immigrants so they can be self-supporting, give dictionaries to all 3rd graders in Habersham Schools and provide books for several hundred people during the year.”
The organization also is a sponsor of One Book Habersham and Scripps Spelling Bee.
Duck race tickets are currently on sale at Elizabeth & Co., Rahab’s Rope, Sweet ReLeaf and at the SWRA office in Clarkesville, at Cornelia and Clarkesville libraries, from any board member or by going to www.vflhabersham.com or the VFL Facebook page.
Tickets are $5 each or five for $20. Winning ducks pay $1000 for first place, $500 for second place and $250 for third.
