Look out below! The ducks are coming

Thanks to Jim Malouf, a batch of 100 racing rubber ducks leap out of the starting gate (note the large trash can) and plunge off the Kernville Bridge at last year’s Rubber Duck Races.

Cathy Perfect
Kern Valley Sun

The Kern Valley Exchange members are geared up for their biggest fundraiser of the year, the 21st Annual Rubber Duck Race, set for Saturday, Aug. 23 at Riverside Park in Kernville. The industrious group takes all this hard work and preparation in stride, “Just like water off a duck’s back,” said Head Quack Ron Smith.

The deep pit (beef not duck) BBQ lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors can revel (actually, they take to it like a duck to water, said Co-Quack Marsha Smith) in the variety of activities available throughout the day. The dunk tank is always a popular attraction, as are the bounce house, face painting, the duck pond where little ones can catch their very own rubber duck, putting green, and, of course, concessions offering soft drinks, popcorn, sno cones, cotton candy and hot dogs.

There are 10 heat races, each with 100 ducks per race; 1st, 2nd, and 3rd pay $75, $50, and $25, respectively. The cost of ducks is $25 or a family of five for $100 (each duck comes with two BBQ lunch tickets.) The top three finishers from each heat then move to the main event, where 30 ducks race for payouts of $1,000 for 1st, $500 for 2nd, and $250 for 3rd place.

A Losers Race is held for the last three ducks who cross the finish line in each heat. The 30 losers then race for a $200 prize.

This main races are sold out, but the Lame Duck and Odd Ducks are available. Other activities include the sales of event T-shirts, hats and cold cups, bubble ducks, flashlight ducks, door prizes and giveaways for kids, drawing for a 32” flat panel LCD TV and Toshiba lap top computer. Tickets are available on race day and the winner need not be present to win. The first ticket drawn has the choice of the TV or the lap top, 2nd place winner takes the remaining prize.

Saturday’s event is a valleywide favorite, netting the Kern Valley Club approximately $20,000 that funds scholarships for deserving local students and additional programs for young people and seniors.