Winners of the 8th Annual VFL Rubber Duck Race are (l-r): Andrea Windham Sweetser ($250); John Ott Knights of Columbus member ($1,000); Joshua Newsom ($500).
It’s official. The owner of the first duck to cross the finish line for the 8th Annual Volunteers for Literacy Rubber Duck Race is St. Mark Knights of Columbus in Clarkesville!
The organization has been a $250 Lucky Duck sponsor of the race for the past three years and as sponsors of that level, they receive 10 ducks to race. This year one of them found its way out of the nearly 1,400 that were raced and “swam” to the finish line far ahead of the crowd to take first place.
That’s great news not only for the Knights but for the Habersham non-profits because that money will go right back into the community through organizations they support, such as local food banks, Clarkesville Soup Kitchen, Sharing and Caring and Habitat for Humanity.
The Knights already gave a check to VFL for $200 to support literacy programs in the county.
Second place and a check for $500 went to Habersham EMC employee, Joshua Newsom and third to Andrea Windham Sweetser, both of Habersham County. Newsom was a recipient of one of the 100 tickets HEMC purchased and gave to their employees. Windham Sweetser purchased her ticket in the Woodville Elementary School pick-up line, one of several schools where VFL board members were selling tickets this year and received a check for $250.
Volunteers for Literacy raised more than $13,000 in this year’s race. That money will help VFL sponsor the annual Dictionary Project in which they give dictionaries to every third grade student in Habersham Schools and the Scripps Spelling Bee in which they pay for 11 Habersham County Schools’ Bee registration and for trophies for each county and school winner and runner-up.
Other ways that VFL promotes literacy in Habersham is by partnering with Habersham Schools, Habersham Libraries and the Piedmont College Education Department to sponsor One Book Habersham for the past five years; maintaining six Little Free Libraries in Clarkesville, Demorest, Cornelia and Baldwin; and providing child care for adult students in the LiFT program which also teaches English to parents of students in Habersham County Schools.
“We thank everyone who supported literacy in Habersham County by purchasing race tickets,” said Duck Race Chair Johnny Bailey, who has chaired the race for the past eight years. “We had a banner year in sponsorships, so we are especially thankful to each and every one of our sponsors.”
“We thank everyone who supported literacy in Habersham County by purchasing race tickets,” said Duck Race Chair Johnny Bailey, who has chaired the race for the past eight years. “We had a banner year in sponsorships, so we are especially thankful to each and every one of our sponsors.”
Volunteers needed
Currently, VFL is getting ready for the English Language Acquisition (ELA) classes to resume in August and is looking for volunteers to teach English at the beginning, intermediate and advanced level. Classes are Tuesday – Thursday from 9am until 2pm and on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7 to 8PM at Cornelia Baptist Church. If interested, contact VFL at 404-401-7969 or at [email protected].
VFL is an agency of United Way of Habersham County. Visit their website at www.vflhabersham.com or on Facebook to learn more about how they promote literacy.
