Charity Fundraising

4/27/2015 Ducky Derby attracts hundreds in Santa Cruz

Charity fundraising

Weather Traffic Subscribe

Search Go

Autos | Real Estate | Jobs

Skip to Main Window

News Cops & Courts Databases Education Elections # Local 0 Nation & World

Politics Like State Sports Share Local Sports Twitter Submit score 2 Andrew Matheson blog Golden State Warriors Tweet Santa Cruz Warriors San Francisco Giants Follow Oakland A's San Francisco 49er's Reddit Oakland Raiders Pinterest Outside 0 Comments San Jose Sharks ... High School Football Email Preps Football Print Stats, scoreboards Tumblr Running LinkedIn Business StumbleUpon Open Houses Real Estate Technology Entertainment Arcade Calendar Horoscopes Lottery TV Listings Lifestyle Celebrations Community Faith Food Health Home & Garden Pets Opinion DeCinzo Cartoons Letters Submit Letters http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/socialaffairs/20150425/duckyderbyattractshundredsinsantacruz 1/7 4/27/2015 Ducky Derby attracts hundreds in Santa Cruz Obituaries Obituaries Submit Obituaries Places Aptos Capitola Live Oak San Lorenzo Valley Santa Cruz Scotts Valley Soquel Watsonville Marketplace Autos Classifieds Daily Deals Homes Jobs Local Guide Special Sections Today's Ads Video Ads Weekly Ads Tools Archives Contact Us Electronic Edition Missed paper Online customer service Privacy Policy Reprints Submit anniversary Submit birth announcement Submit calendar event Submit engagement Submit wedding news Vacation hold

Home â†’ Charity fundraising

Ducky Derby attracts hundreds in Santa Cruz

Onlookers watch as hundreds of tiny rubber ducks rush through Harvey West Park in Santa Cruz on Saturday afternoon during the 25th annual Ducky Derby. (Kevin Johnson Santa Cruz Sentinel)

By Calvin Men, Santa Cruz Sentinel

Posted: 04/25/15, 5:53 PM PDT | http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/socialaffairs/20150425/duckyderbyattractshundredsinsantacruz 2/7 4/27/2015 Ducky Derby attracts hundreds in Santa Cruz 0 Comments

Brightyellow rubber ducks fill a bin at Harvey West Park in Santa Cruz on Saturday after racing through the park during the 25th annual Ducky Derby. (Kevin Johnson Santa Cruz Sentinel)

SANTA CRUZ >> The same water used to fight fires in the Santa Cruz Mountains is used to send thousands of plastic ducks down a manmade river in Harvey West Park for the 25th annual Ducky Derby.

Put on by the nonprofit Omega Nu in collaboration with the City of Santa Cruz’s Park and Recreation Department, the event drew more than 500 people throughout the day.

“This is our annual fundraiser that we do and we supply scholarships for kids in local high schools,” said Jennifer Hall, publicity chairwoman for the nonprofit. Outside of scholarships, the nonprofit donates to schools and other community organizations in the county, Hall said.

The annual event is the organization’s largest fundraiser, bringing in up to $20,000.

Twice an hour, a raft of plastic ducks were released from a water tank at the top of a hill and sent streaming down. Each race ends in 30 seconds and takes roughly 500 gallons of water, according to organizers.

Though water problems have plagued Santa Cruz County and the state in the last four years, derby event organizers remain mindful of not wasting water. For the past three years, they tapped Branciforte Fire Protection for help with the water, said Lisa O’Rourke, a member of the event’s planning committee.

“It’s all recycled water,” she said.

The fire department provided a 1,500gallon water tender that pumps water into a tank at the top of a hill. As each duck race is run, water flows down the manmade river into a smaller pool below and then siphoned off back into the water tender.

“There’s this amount of water left here at the end of the day that will water Harvey West Park,” said O’Rourke, gesturing to small puddles left in the pool at the bottom of the hill.

Before Branciforte Fire, the organization relied on Santa Cruz Fire.

Though children could bounce on inflatable slides, get their faces painted or play carnival games, the highlight was the derby.

“It’s the charge of the ducks,” said Nathan Beck of Felton.

Beck said he and his family have attended the event for close to a decade.

“It’s a fun festival that has all kinds of stuff that’s interesting and fun,” he said.

Jessica Scheiner, her husband and two kids finished with a swim lesson nearby and dropped by.

“It’s a community event that’s trying to support local organizations,” she said. “It’s fun and festive.”

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/socialaffairs/20150425/duckyderbyattractshundredsinsantacruz 3/7 4/27/2015 Ducky Derby attracts hundreds in Santa Cruz

About the Author

Reach the author at [email protected] or follow Calvin on Twitter: @CalvinMenAtWork.

Full bio and more articles by Calvin Men Back to top