On August 29, 2015 Smart Start of Franklin Granville Vance Partnership will be holding its 6th annual Ducky Derby and festival on Breckenridge Street in Henderson, NC. The festival will feature food and non-profit vendors, games and rides for kids, library events including a book giveaway, SAFEKIDS car and safety seat check, as well as live music from both local bands and high school drum lines. The festival itself, held between the police station and library, will run from 10am until 2pm, at which point the Ducky Derby will commence on Garnett Street amid cheering participants and on-lookers wearing the Ducky Derby signature duck hats and blasting out a mighty “quack” from bill shaped duck calls.
A large concrete mixer courtesy of Greystone Concrete Inc. will be filled with 500 gallons of water and 
several thousand rubber ducks. Once released, the ducks will float down the street towards the finish line. Those in attendance who are participating will watch their ducks race for the win in hopes of clenching one of the several cash prizes being awarded to the first, second, third and final duck to cross the finish line. The prizes awarded are as follows:
First duck to cross the line: $1000
Second duck to cross the line: $500
Third duck to cross the line: $250
Last duck to cross the: $100
At the end of the race, a prize of 52 Chick fil A meal tickets (free Chick fil A for a year) will be awarded at random to a participant in attendance.
Ducks can be purchased at $5 a piece or in a “Quack Pack” (6 ducks for $25) or a “Flock” (25 ducks for $100) and are available either by calling FGV Partnership or can be claimed at one of the following businesses participating in the event:
Easy Car Care
State Employees Credit Union
Dot’s Hallmark
Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce
Tickets can also be purchased at the festival and derby itself. Proceeds for the event will go to fund Smart Start, a non-profit volunteer program dedicated to providing access to health services for children as well as an education and literacy program designed to aid children ages 0-5 in preparation for attending school.
For more details or to be a participant in the event you can call the FGV Partnership at 252-433-9110. You can also call this number if you would like to be a vendor or sponsor of the Ducky Derby, just ask for Gary.
