Ducks Make Their Annual

Dive For Charity

By Kendra Bobowick

Crowding the Pootatuck River’s banks Saturday, May 26, were hundreds of residents watching waves of yellow rubber ducks bobbing along the water’s surface. Once again the Newtown Lions Club Great Pootatuck Duck Race took place under a hot sunny sky 3,805 rubber ducks, numbered in indelible ink, matched tickets in residents’ hands.

The event was “doing very well,” said Lions President Ray Keegan. He and other Lions members minutes earlier had sorted through the numbered ducks before filling the backhoe. After emptying several bins into the bucket, member Gary Fillion watched as they nearly spilled out the sides. “We’re going to need a bigger bucket,” he said.

Staged as a fundraiser for the Lions Club’s charity foundation, the event raised an estimated $15,000 this year to support Lions Club charities.

Prizes and winners are: first place, a $2,000 check, Mary Dorland of Shelton; second place, a weekend getaway including hotel, dinner, and theater, Eloy L. Nava of Darien; third place, dinner for six at the Stone River Grill (wine, appetizer, main course, and dessert), Rex Krueger of Gainesville, Fla; fourth place, a Sony PlayStation 3 (320GB), Devin Vollero of Monroe; fifth prize, a Club NewFit three-month membership to First Selectman Pat Llodra of Sandy Hook; sixth place, a Treadwell Park pass, Joe Young of Sandy Hook; seventh place, a Newtown Youth Academy Sports & Fitness Center one month membership, training session, to Joseph Palmer of Newtown; eighth place, a Sal e Pepe’s Restaurant certificate, Sara Findley of Newtown; ninth place, a My Place Restaurant certificate, Gary Fellin of New Milford; tenth place, a certificate for Tambascio’s Italian Grill, Jon Soriano of Sandy Hook.

Eleventh place, a certificate to Berkshire Motors, Alexa Skalandunas of Newtown; 12th place, a certificate to Pizza Palace, B. Dunn of Monroe; 13thplace, a certificate to Figs Restaurant, Ray Schmidt of Sandy Hook; 14th place, a certificate to Newtown Car Care, Barbara Wyslick of Newtown; 15th place, a certificate to Nasser’s Hair Salon, Kara Wanzer of Sandy Hook; 16th place, a Newtown Bee subscription, Skip Sims of Newtown; 17th place, a certificate to the Blue Colony Diner, Tom Long of Newtown; 18th place, a certificate to Roberto’s Restaurant, Andrew Siegel of Newtown; 19th place, a certificate to Demitasse Café, Brody Wargo of Bridgeport; and the 20th place prize is an Edmond Town Hall movie pass to Kay Kopec of Bethel.

Several days after the race, the Stone River Grille owner Gary Seri saw a duck caught in the rocks that had never crossed the finish line. He contacted race organizers and wishes to provide a $50 certificate to his restaurant to the person who bought that duck.

The llama Lladyhawk drew crowds of children who rubbed their hands along her sheared body, including young A.J. Friesl who wore his duck hat to the day’s events. Soon Jessica and Travis Reko ran their fingers along Lladyhawk’s wooly neck.

With a booth set up beside the walk alongside the river behind the Stone River Grill and demitasse café were Paul Mangiafico and Jim Cebry, touting the upcoming first-of-a-kind Newtown Arts Festival taking place September 15 and 16 in Fairfield Hills.

Resident Lois Barber was also prompting her Beautiful Baby Contest, which serves as a fundraiser for Homes For Our Troops, an organization that builds homes for veterans returning home with life-altering injuries.

Also on hand were politicians Lisa Romano, who is running for the 106th District State Representative’s seat, and Congressional candidate Dan Roberti, running for the Fifth District.

Nearby, Paulina Frutos carefully painted Molly Moran’s cheek. Kimberly Plude and her stepbrother William Goodwin carried candy and homemade crafts through the crowd and past a booth where Women Involved in Newtown members Claire Olsen and Audrey Locorotondo handed out duck memorabilia.

Across the lawn was Claire Decker, adding paint to a craft machine in front of Dr John Popowich’s chiropractic and acupuncture booth. Next-door handing out pamphlets promoting the town’s Republican party was Shirley Paproski.

Seated in the shade wearing silk screened duck shirts, and in one case a sun bonnet, were toddlers and cousins Leah Mangino, Hope Venezia, and Morgan Capone.

Parked at the corner of the lot was an antique circa 1960s Mustang, where Lions members were selling raffle tickets for the car. Looking at its clean interior was Robert Brink. Approaching the car from the lot and holding a high-flying red balloon was Marina Pavia, looking around at the hundreds of people from her perch on her father’s shoulder.

Standing outside the Newtown Underwater Search And Rescue vehicle with their prize live goldfish were twins Jack and Jenna Kanaan.

Lions member Bob Schmidt said in an e-mail after the race, “We could not have done it without the support” of people of Newtown, citing entertainers, The Leo Club at Newtown High and its advisor Suzanne Hurley who sold tickets, ran the bounce house, the color a duck activity, sold bottled water and did face painting, restaurants and businesses who donated prizes, businesses that sold tickets, organizations and businesses who came to exhibit at the duck race, and the Newtown Bee staff for publicity. Mr Schmidt also said a “big credit” should go to Mike Porco, Sr, for opening his property on Glen Road for the race.

Mr Porco was onsite Saturday, happily greeting the many guests throughout the day.