Rubber ducky, you're the oneBoys & Girls Club duck race was a smash hit

MOSES LAKE — The sun sparkled off the water with little spitfires of shine that was almost as bright as the excitement in the eyes of the kids running around Cascade Park Saturday morning.

The wind that seemed like gale force earlier in the day had quieted some, but the buoys still skittered in the water, holding fast as they lined the track to the shored.

It was Duck Day and the park was alive with music and games and stuff to do while they waited for the big race coming in off the lake. Kids raced from booth to booth like ants in a stirred up pile.

Three-year-old Gael Canton crawled in a sack that went right up to the “S” on his Superman shirt. It very well could have been his very first sack race and behind the streaks of green and red face paint sparkled the eyes filled with a sense of adventure. His heart was in it as he bounced around in circles, but his sense of direction was a bit off until his dad whistled and pointed him in the right direction.

Finally it was time. The boat was in place with volunteers at the ready to turn loose the ducks. The Moses Lake Boys & Girls Club Rubber Duck Derby was ready to start. For some lucky winner, it was a chance to win $1,500 for the first duck into shore. But the real winners are the kids the Boys & Girls Club has a chance to reach with its day to day operations.

The countdown began and the excitement level rose with each number shouted out by an estimated 300 friends and family gathered on the shore. With that some 4,000 ducks went into the water.

Longview Elementary School first-grader Skylar McKinsey worked his way to where Boys & Girls Club Executive Director Brant Mayo stood knee-high in the water waiting to gather the race winner. As the ducks bobbed and pushed against the buoys guiding their efforts, some popped loose and headed toward open water. The quick net scoping efforts of Isiah Montejano riding support in a kayak helped retrieve the wayward quackers and put them back on their way as the race neared the shore.

As the mass of bobbing yellow duckies pushed to the shore, the kids pushed forward with the thrill of the chase, or maybe just the excitement of Duck Day. There was no way to root for your lucky duck, it didn’t much matter. It was Duck Day and a good cause.

Mayo plucked the first duck to shore out of the water as the kids pushed forward like Seahawks fans looking to shake Russell Wilson’s hand. The lucky duck winner Diana Eslick won a cool $1,500. Liana Cockrum’s fast-swimming yellow champion came home in second place, bringing a nice $1,000 her way. Sharon Palmerton collected six Seattle Mariners tickets for third place. Mike Hamilton’s duck was fourth and BBSI’s entrant claimed the fifth-place spot.

But to bring a little joy to the kids and show them what the spirit of community was all about was a far greater achievement.

The Boys & Girls Club does need operating expenses and the event did raise a substantial amount for the cause. No figures were readily available, but an estimated 4,000 went into the water at $5 bucks apiece. Horizon Credit Union was a major sponsor, you do the math.

It was a good day in Duckville.