In the holding tank, waiting for the gate to be raised.
By Lori BODNAR, intern
On Saturday, families cheered as thousands of rubber ducks floated down “Lake Glendale.” The occasion was the 14th annual Kiwanis Incredible Duck Splash (KIDS) held on Nov. 3 at Verdugo Park. Local firefighters aided in building a duck holding pond and river for the 19,925 plastic ducks that were “adopted” to race down the man-made river, competing for top cash prizes as part of the Kiwanis annual fundraiser. It was an incredible sight to see the thousands of yellow duckies jostling for position as they fast-floated to the finish line, cheered on by hundreds of spectators. Local Kiwanis Kids (K-Kids) from elementary school clubs, dubbed “golden retrievers,” stood by in the final splash pool to collect all of the ducks at the end of each of the six race heats. Student volunteers from Fremont Elementary, Horace Mann Elementary and Rosemont Builders Club – the middle school Kiwanis student program – were all helping out at the event.
“We get the ducks at the end of each race. We also help out at the booths,” said Meghedi Vartanian, a sixth grader from Fremont. “I had a lot of fun.”
Many of the elementary school student volunteers also sang and danced to the DJ music provided.
“I wanted to help out because it helps the little kids have fun and be more active instead of playing video games and staying at home,” said voluteer Troy Clark.
Rosemont Builders Club members could be found lending a hand at the booths, including one that built Frankenstein monster-type mix-and-match stuffed animals by sewing together different stuffed animal body pieces.
“When I was in elementary school, I was in the K-Kids,” said Annika Zarifian from Rosemont Builders Club. “We said that we would do community service, and so I help out at events.”
The money raised from the KIDS fundraiser goes to the many Kiwanis philanthropic efforts and provides scholarships to deserving recipients. Kiwanis Club, a non-profit organization, raised over $140,000 with the Duck Splash fundraiser.
Some of the money raised was through the adoption of the nearly 20,000 ducks. Much of the fundraising was done by non-profit organizations that adopted out the ducks at $5 each. These organizations are called “duck buddies” and they received 50% of the “adoption fees.” This year saw 30 duck buddies participating that adopted over 8,000 duckies. They will be receiving back over $20,000 in proceeds!
Stacey Gin Nishi is the president of Glendale Kiwanis and the mistress of ceremonies for the event.
The first place winner of $10,000 was Tye Gaddis. Second place and third place was awarded to Christa Miller and Terry Sternberg, who each won $1,000. Fourth and fifth place went to James Urquhart and Bob Rountree, who each won $500. Julia Kan, the winner of the “QuackPack” drawing, won a $500 gift card.
A fundraiser of this size takes many volunteers – many were found at Verdugo Park on Saturday. Members of the Glendale City Council and the fire department and the police chief helped in opening the gate for the races to begin.
Horace Mann Elementary School students and Boy Scouts volunteered as well. “Quacky” – the KIDS duck mascot – could be seen walking around delighting kids. A gigantic Quacky inflatable duck was also onsite, ready for photos.
There were many activities at the Duck Splash aside from watching the duck races. There was a bounce house, pedestrian safety demonstration, and booths with crafts and games. The Simi Valley Kiwanis and Kona Ice prepared food for purchase, including hamburgers and hot dogs.
Other local businesses or non-profit clubs had booths at the KIDS. Members of the Assistance League of Glendale were there; Danette Erickson said among the ALG outreaches is having authors visit elementary schools. Assisteens is the organization’s high school group.
La Crescenta Woman’s Club also had a booth. Cindy Charles from the LCWC said, “We distribute scholarships and support community groups.”
From the Kiwanis’ standpoint, the event was a success.
“The 14th Annual Kiwanis Incredible Duck Splash was successful and fun!” said President Nishi. “Our Kiwanis village partnered with Glendale fire, our Kiwanis Builders Clubs, K-Kids, Key Clubs, sponsors and duck buddies to put on the event. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year and we are grateful for the support and enthusiasm from our community.”
To learn more about the Kiwanis Club of Glendale, visit https://glendalekiwanis.info/.
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