Duck Derby (Parade, Festival and Dash)

Various sites around Cartersville
April 18 & May 16, 2009

Duck Season is coming to Cartersville! No, not the kind of duck you hunt ... the rubber, racing kind. And it’s for a good cause, too.

A fundraiser for Advocates for Children, the eighth annual Duck Derby season kicks off Saturday, April 18, with a parade through downtown Cartersville at 10:00 a.m. Schools, churches, organizations and local businesses, as well as dance groups, motorcycle and car clubs, are being invited to take part in the parade.

Individuals can adopt ducks until May 16, when the day-long festival at Riverside Day Use Area on the banks of the Etowah River will be highlighted by the Duck Derby itself. At approximately 2:30 on the 16th, 20,000 rubber ducks will be dumped in the Etowah River for the big race. The adoptive owner whose duck crosses the finish line first wins a new car. Many other prizes are up for grabs, including the “Dawdle Duck” – the very last duck – which will win its adoptive owner a one year membership to Gold’s Gym in Cartersville. The race is on the river just below the dam that creates Lake Allatoona, two minutes from Highway 41 and five minutes from I-75.

Even if you aren’t adopting a duck, come enjoy the food, arts and crafts, entertainment and games throughout the day at the festival. This year promises even more free activities for kids.

The Advocates’ fifth annual Duck Dash 5K run also will be held May 16. Beginning at 8:00 a.m., the race takes place at the Cartersville Soccer Complex, directly behind Cartersville Middle School. The entrance to the complex is on Milner Road, off Pine Grove Road. Cash awards are given to the top three Overall Male and Female runners, and top three male and female Masters. All entrants receive a T-shirt with the Duck Dash logo and are treated to post-race refreshments at the finish line.

Advocates for Children is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving over 2,000 children in the northwest Georgia area. More information about each of these events is available at www.AdvoChild.org. In addition, ducks can be adopted and race registration forms can be downloaded through the web site.

PHOTO CREDIT:
Photos courtesy of Advocates for Children