Residents and visitors are flocking to Lumsden this weekend for one of the community’s highlight events of the year.
The 32nd edition of the Lumsden Duck Derby takes over the town with the chance for a lucky someone to win some serious money.
The weekend event has managed to become a staple for the area over the last number of years. This time around, organizers are hoping to raise money for the town’s rink.
Jamie Lees, the chair of the Lumsden Duck Derby, said one of the ways supporters can see how much the fundraiser benefits their community is by attending the parade. She said people will want to keep an eye out for one thing in particular.
“We have a brand new zamboni that will be cruising down the road because things like that are what we are paying for,” explained Lees.
The money generated from ticket sales not only helps afford items like their new zamboni; it extends to their programming, projects and other pieces of equipment that are needed.
“It keeps fees low for all of our members at the rink and with capital projects that are taking place – it helps keep our rink alive,” added Lees.
The Duck Derby portion of the weekend spectacle doesn’t actually take place until Monday afternoon. A number of activities are scheduled between Saturday to Monday leading up to the duck’s being dropped into the water.
A steak night and cabaret with live music kicks off the fun on Saturday. People who have purchased their tickets will also have a chance to win prizes courtesy of Hillberg and Berk.
There’s also a pancake breakfast, kids activities, a trade show, followed by the parade at 1:30 p.m. and the 2:30 p.m. rubber duck drop in the Qu’Appelle River.
While the event serves as a community fundraiser, there seems to be more and more people from outside of the Lumsden area who choose to participate each year.
Some may even argue this is the event that puts Lumsden on the map.
“It’s kind of neat to see everyone band together, all the businesses come together, and everyone embraces it as a part of who we are.”
If you haven’t grabbed your tickets yet, there are still some available. The public can buy them at local businesses and at Saturday’s farmer’s market in Lumsden. For those who aren’t able to make it out, you can purchase tickets online at www.duckderby.ca.
Lees mentioned that the cut off for ticket purchases will be on at 1:00 p.m. before over 25,000 rubber ducks are dropped into the river.
