Rubber Ducks on sale for June 16 regatta

MOSES LAKE - Tickets - well, ducks - are on sale for the first Rubber Duck Regatta, a fundraiser set for June 16 by the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin.

The ducks will be released about 9:30 a.m. to float around the Lazy River ride at the Surf 'n Slide water park, 401 W Fourth Ave., Moses Lake.

The organization's goal is to sell 4,000 ducks. Cost is $5 for one duck, $20 for five ducks and $100 for 25 ducks.

The first duck to float all the way around will win the grand prize of $1,500 in cash. Other prizes include $1,000 in cash, an overnight "Stay and Play" at the Coeur d'Alene Resort, tickets to Seattle Mariners games; organizers are planning about 40 prizes in all, said Deb Polito of the Boys and Girls Club.

"We were looking for a fun, new and entertaining way to help share our mission and raise operational expenses. Our current yearly membership costs $10 per year, while it costs over $2,000 per child to provide services for a year," according to a press release issued by the organization.

"Actually, Harlan (Beagley, Herald publisher) had kind of discussed the idea of doing this" a few  years ago with Boys and Girls Club director Brant Mayo, Polito said.

Administrators did some research and there was just one obstacle. Moses Lake is surrounded by lakes.

But other towns had used water slides, Polito said. And somebody had a brainstorm. "How about we use the Lazy River (ride)?" she said.

Tickets - ducks - are available at the two Boys and Girls Club locations, downtown at 310 W Third St., the Larsen center at 4306 Arnold St. or from any Boys and Girls Club board member. Staff members will be selling tickets May 26 at the Moses Lake Walmart, 1005 N Stratford Ave., during Spring Festival events and at the Farmer's Market, in McCosh Park, during the upcoming weekend.

More information is available on the group's website, www.bngclub.org.