Hundreds Drawn To 10th Annual Duck Race

By Kendra Bobowick

Plastic ducks bobbed along the Pootatuck River as children leaned over rails and spectators lined the outdoor decks and walks to watch for a winner.

Which duck would be first to the finish during the Newtown Lions Club’s 10th Annual Great Pootatuck Duck Race? On Saturday, May 29, a crowd again gathered on the lawn and river walk beside the Pootatuck off of Glen Road.

“We had a better turnout than in the last three years, said Duck Race Committee Chair Robert Schmidt. The Lions Club sold nearly 3,900 tickets for its annual fundraiser this year. By his last count, Mr Schmidt reported sales of 891 tickets on the day of the race. The total ticket sale was 3,879. “That is a record for the three years since I’ve been the chair of the Duck Race,” he wrote in a recent email. “I must give credit to all the Lions who did such a great job selling tickets and Kevin Corey who organized the sales.”

 Gathered were town organizations, volunteer groups, Relay For Life teams, businesses, performers, and more offering entertainment for children, llamas, face painting, snacks, and an afternoon of fun before the final countdown from the bridge in Sandy Hook Center.

Ducks on T-shirts, caps, balloons, and banners or logos speckled the crowd carrying balloons, cold drinks, or other treats, while the only respite was in the shade of a tent. “I am exhausted,” admitted Parks and Recreation Commission member Jan Brookes.

Across from children’s inflatable houses and slides were Newtown Underwater Search And Rescue representatives Paul Nonnenmacher, Mike McCarthy, Brian Solt, and Peggy Wickman. Standing at a Lions Club table was George Arfaras, selling last-minute raffle tickets as guests entered a jumble of tables and booths, car raffle areas, dance demonstrations, and an abundant show of this coming weekend’s Relay For Life teams raising funds to fight cancer.

This year’s honorary Relay chair and cancer survivor Jill Collins sold accessories made from recycled materials with friend and cancer survivor Jesicha Napolitano and her daughter Meghan.

Sophie and Noah Ackert put in a long morning of crafts and treats and sat on the lawn holding their spin-art paintings while they waited for the duck race to begin.

Pete Paulos carried his daughter Sadie on his shoulders as she watched dancers bounce to music on the stage overlooking the river. Just a few hundred yards upstream a backhoe loaded with ducks perched its bucket over a bridge railing, where ducks would soon spill into the water.

Minutes later a crowd counted, “Ten, nine, eight…” and at the shout of “one!” the bucket tipped and a burst of yellow ducks dropped into the Pootatuck.

The winners are: First Prize, $2,000 to Frank Maturi of Southbury; Second Prize, a night in the big city to Jim Maurer, Sandy Hook Hotel, theater tickets and dinner; Third Prize, iPod Touch to Paul Kluga of Newtown; Fouth Prize, Fitness 4,000 three-month membership to Gary Tannenbaum of Newtown; FifthPrize, Treadwell Park pool pass to Jen Scarandella of Newtown; Sixth Prize, Porco Karate one month free membership pass to Scott Gibney of Sandy Hook; Seventh Prize, Porco Karate one month free membership pass to Daniel Kearns, Jr, of Newtown; Eighth Prize, Lexington Gardens $50 gift basket and $50 gift card to Marilyn Ebro of Watertown; Ninth Prize, Sal & Pepe gift certificate for $75 to Gabrielle Christina of Southbury; Tenth Prize, season tickets to Little Theater of Newtown to Jennifer Allred of Newtown

 Eleventh Prize, two-year Newtown Bee subscription to Maura Shpunt of Sandy Hook; 12th Prize, Gary’s Ribs gift certificated for $50 to Jenna Connors of Sandy Hook; 13th Prize, Pizza Palace gift certificate Gift Certificate for $50 to Susan Gay of Sandy Hook; 14th Prize, Chows gift certificate for $35 to Doug McDonald of Newtown; 15th Prize, Mona Lisa gift certificate for $25 to Cathy Huffman of Sandy Hook; 16th Prize, Inn at Newtown gift certificate for $25 to Susan Gargano of Sandy Hook; 17th Prize, Blue Colony Diner gift certificate for $25 to David Budd of Newtown; 18th Prize, Roberto’s Gift Certificate for $25 to Matt Kurjlaka of Sandy Hook; 19th Prize, My Place gift certificate for $25 to Al Mazur of Newtown; 20th Prize, 10 Edmond Town Hall movie passes to Jeanette Brandon of Derby.