Northport Rotary Club’s duck race raises over $30,000 for local and international charities
The Northport Rotary Club’s First Annual Duck Race took place today, August 14, at the harbor on the end of Main Street in Northport Village. Excited spectators watched as 300 rubber ducks (per heat) made their way through the open course, which was constructed with foam noodles. With the help of paddles and (very little) wind, the first three ducks to cross the finish line in each heat were called out as the winners. Six winners were crowned in total, with third place awarded $500, second place $1,000, and first place receiving $2,000.
The Northport Rotary Club, which is made up of about 35 community members, focuses on the needs of local and broader international communities. The money raised from the duck race will be donated to a number of programs, including Helping Hand Rescue Mission in Huntington Station, St. Baldrick’s Cancer Research, Cooking for Long Island Veterans, and Gift of Life International. The rotary also helps out individuals who have special needs, but are not serviced by other organizations. “Every dollar we take in, is returned to the community or charities, and covers whatever expenses we have. We are a total volunteer organization,” said Rotarian Bob DeVito, as he introduced the event today.
The club sold 600 ducks, and raised $13,000 from race sponsors. National Grid donated $5,000 to the club, and was the “Grand Duck” sponsor. Nolan Funeral Home and Long Island Power Solutions were among the sponsors that donated $1,000, and multiple individual sponsors donated $250 toward the race. The club took in approximately $25,700 from duck sales. After paying out prize winners, the total raised is about $31,700, less event expenses.
“This has been a very successful charity event for us. We hope to do it again next year and continue doing it, and we appreciate everyone’s support,” Bob said.
Race Winners:
Heat 1:
1st place: Duck #174, Fran Harvey
2nd place: Duck #215, Kristen Painter
3rd place: Duck #86, Matthew Wasko
Heat 2:
1st place: Duck #50, Natascha Reid
2nd place: Duck #96, Eugene Coizza
3rd place: Duck #135, Christopher Weaver
