Nearly 3,000 yellow rubber ducks floated down the Soque River at Pitts Park in Clarkesville on Saturday. The race, which raises money for local literacy programs, also left three lucky locals with extra cash.
Mac Appleton, David Wall, and Brian Garrison were this year’s winners as their adopted ducks crossed the finish line ahead of thousands more.
According to Volunteers for Literacy (VFL) of Habersham County Executive Director Phylecia Wilson, this year’s race was the largest in its 13-year history. Before the start of the race, only about 20 ducks were left for adoption.
The race, which accompanied VFL’s free family fun fest in the park, capped off a day of fun and activities at the Mountain Laurel Festival.
RELATED:
Anticipation and a float to the finish line
The race itself has become a big draw. Dozens of people filed onto the Homer Sutton Bridge on GA 197 North and the riverbank to watch the race, which began promptly at 2 p.m. on May 18.
A bucket truck hoisted the trap holding the bright yellow rubber ducks over the bridge railing. The basket hung 30 feet above the Soque River as spectators eagerly anticipated the start of the race.
When the trap door opened, thousands of ducks splashed into the river below.
The ducks ‘swam’ the nearly-quarter mile stretch of river from the bridge to the far end of Pitts Park. Several ducks didn’t make it to the finish line due to log jams, getting caught in river eddies, and being beached on the riverbank.
When the winner’s names were called, Appleton, Wall, and Garrison walked away the ‘lucky ducks.’ Appleton’s duck was the first to cross the finish line, winning him the top $1,000 prize. Wall took home $500 for second, and Garrison $250 for his duck’s third-place finish.
The money raised from this charity event will support VFL’s literacy programs, which include English classes for non-native speakers, GED scholarships, dictionaries for third graders, and the annual county Scripps Spelling Bee. VFL also pays to build, install, and maintain Little Free Libraries around the county. Currently, there are 19 such libraries in Habersham County.
