Tiny rubber ducks equal a big fundraiser
(Photo by CAROLINE LOBSINGER) Daily Bee advertising representative Jennifer Wright reacts with mock alarm as JP Carver, a member of the Ponderay Rotary Club, flocks her desk on Wednesday. The club is offering to deliver the tiny rubber ducks to the individual of your choice as part of a fundraiser for its scholarship fund.
SANDPOINT — What the duck is going on, you ask?
Well, if you wake up or walk into work to find hundreds of tiny rubber ducks camped out around your desk, porch or business, you’ll know that you’ve been flocked courtesy of the Ponderay Rotary Club.
The tiny rubber ducks are the latest “quackable” fundraiser by the club to raise scholarships for local students, says club member and flocking organizer JP Carver.
“Don’t be alarmed if one day you find you have been overrun by these fun-loving feathered friends,” he joked in a press release. “They just need somewhere to gather until the annual Duck Derby this year.”
In the fundraiser, community members, friends, loved ones or, well, anyone can pay the Ponderay Rotary Club members to place the tiny, squeaky rubber ducks at the location of their choice. Individuals can opt for a small gathering (25 ducks) for a $25 donation, a medium gather of 50 ducks for a $50 donation, a large gathering of 100 ducks for a $100 donation, or a supersize gathering of 500 ducks for a $200 donations.
Folks who prefer to remain duck-free can opt to purchase anti-ducking insurance for a $25 premium.
“The gathering is done in good spirits and not meant to be mean,” Carver said “These ducks will gather at your location for a long time unless a donation is made to have them removed or moved to a different location.”
The idea came about during discussions by club members on how to not only raise money for scholarships but raise awareness of the groups annual Duck Derby, held during Schweitzer Mountain Resort’s Spring Fling weekend.
At first the club thought about flamingos or large rubber ducks but than inspiration struck when they realized they already had the feathered friends at hand to help them with their fundraising goals — the ducks used for the derby.
Want to help the Ponderay Rotary Club with its scholarship drive without taking part in the flocking or derby? You can do that as well by mailing donations to: Ponderay Rotary Club, P.O. Box 813, Ponderay ID 83852 or by calling Ryan Robinson at 208-304-8375. The sponsorship deadline is March 8.
Proceeds from both the derby and flockings will go toward the club’s 2019 scholarship fund.
In the past 10 years, the club has given more than $100,000 in scholarships to local students. All students are welcome to apply, Carver said. Past scholarships have gone to students seeking their deep sea diving certificate, kinesiology certification, vocational-technical degrees and college and university studies.
If you have any questions about the fundraiser, how it works or what to expect if you suddenly have 500 new bright yellow friends, Carver said folks are welcome to give him a call.
If you would like to participate and make a donation to have someone you know get a ducking — or make a donation for anti-ducking insurance to prevent your location from getting ducked contact JP Carver at 208-290-5364 or via email at jpbcarver@frontier.com.
Caroline Lobsinger can be reached by email at clobsinger@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter@CarolDailyBee.