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The Annual Charity Duck Race
The successful December 2006 Duck Race took the grand total of funds raised to a fraction short of £47,000 since this popular event first took place.
Traditionally held on the first Sunday in December, the first race
took place in November 1988 with a few hundred sponsored plastic
ducks released
along the brook in the centre of the village. Since then its appeal
has grown along with an enlarged stable of 2200 racing ducks,
all consecutively
numbered, racing in eleven heats and with a grand final for over 50
quality prizes. The customary post race raffle to accommodate
those who were
unable to buy tickets has now been replaced by an additional set of
racing ducks that perform in the Ugly Duckling Race for a separate
set of prizes.
The success of either would not be possible without the generous
supporters who supply all of the prizes, to the energetic sellers
of tickets,
and of course to all those who buy tickets and come along to support
the
event.
The organisers have been very grateful to Blooms of Bressingham
who have kindly permitted the sale of duck race tickets by our
committee
members
at their store in Rugby for the last two years.
The main race proceeds have been donated to a variety of mainstream
charities and in recent years these include Warwickshire and
Northamptonshire Air
Ambulance, Leukaemia Research Fund, Macmillan Cancer Relief,
The Helen Ley Home, Myton Hospice, and various departments in
the Hospital
of
St Cross.
The proceeds from the Ugly Duckling race continue the tradition
of supporting village initiatives and projects, local hospitals
and caring
organisations.
The organisers are a small but dedicated group of occasional
imbibers at the village pubs The Oak and Black Dog and Shoulder
of Mutton
who form the Duck Race Committee.
The Duck Race funds also benefit from hire fees and quantities
of ducks are available for hire from the stable of ducks
and frequently feature
in other charity fund-raising events up and down the country.
For additional duck race information or details of hiring
plastic ducks, contact: mikecooper@stretton-on-dunsmore.co.uk
