Bridge Creek saw 1,000 rubber ducks race downstream Saturday (June 3) during the annual Duck Race.
Organized this year by the South Cariboo Pickleball Association, the event drew dozens to Centennial Park. Organizer and association member Pam Makortoff said the event was a success, raising $4,000 for the association.
Typically the Duck Race is organized by the 100 Mile House Wranglers, but Makortoff said this year they chose not to run it, so the association stepped in to help.
“It was a little late notice and a bit of a rush to get tickets and posters out, but the associations stepped up to the task,” Makortoff said. “It went fairly well, other than losing some ducks downstream. Other than the runaway ducks it went pretty smoothly, I think.”
The winning ducks — scooped out of the creek by South Cariboo Search and Rescue — belonged to Don Dickerson, Brenda Verboom and Lois Hazard. Dickerson won $500, Verboom won $250 and Hazard won $100.
Makortoff said the association plans to use the money they raised to help support the growth of pickleball in 100 Mile House.
They plan to buy additional equipment, including nets, as well as install wind fencing and a sound barrier around the new pickleball court being constructed in Centennial Park.
Next year Makortoff and the association plan to organize the race again and maybe even grow it into a larger event.
“We’re hoping to expand it next year with T-shirts, food and music. The race is over so quickly and kids and their families come down, so it’d be nice for them to have some more things to do. That’s what we’re thinking for next year, but we’ll see how it goes.”
patrick.davies@100milefreepress.net
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