Tag Archive for: #duckyderby2018

Annual Ducky Derby Race in Downtown Canceled; Drawing to be Held at FGV Office

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-Information courtesy, Garry Daeke, Development Coordinator, Franklin-Granville-Vance Smart Start, Inc.

The Ducky Derby race, scheduled for this Saturday, September 15, 2018, has been canceled due to anticipated inclement weather. A drawing for prizes will be held Friday, September 21 at noon at the FGV Partnership office. The public is invited to attend.

The drawing will be videoed and played for the public on our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/fgvsmartstart.org/. Winners of prizes will be notified by phone numbers from their ticket stubs.

Tickets will continue to be on sale until Thursday, September 20 until noon. Call 252-433-9110, extension 227 if you have questions. Thank you to everyone who has supported our 9th Annual Ducky Derby race.

Rubber Ducks Set to Race Down Garnett St. in 9th Annual Ducky Derby

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Garry Daeke, development coordinator for Franklin-Granville-Vance (FGV) Smart Start, was on Thursday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss the organization’s 9th Annual Ducky Derby Fundraiser.

This race of up to 2,500 rubber ducks will be held in downtown Henderson on Saturday, September 15, 2018. Rubber ducks will begin the race at the corner of Breckenridge and Garnett Street and will race two blocks to Orange Street. “We will open up the fire hydrants, run water and close off some side streets,” Daeke said.

Top prizes of $1000, $500 and $250 will be awarded for a first through third place finish. The last duck to cross the finish line will be awarded $100. Participants do not need to be present for the race to win a prize.

A drawing will also be held at the end of the race for 52 free meals from Chick-fil-A. You must be present to win this drawing.

Tickets for ducks are on sale now and are available for purchase from any F-G-V staff or board member. Ducks will also be available for purchase the day of the event from 10 a.m. until the race begins at 2 p.m.

Ducky options include $5 for a single duck, a “quack pack” of six ducks for $25 or a “flock” of 25 ducks for $100.

To ensure all enter the race in a timely fashion, Greystone Concrete Products of Henderson will pour purchased ducks along with approximately 500 – 1,000 additional gallons of water from their cement truck onto Garnett St.

According to Daeke, hearing the children’s excited reactions to the ducks being poured each year is part of the fun.

Daeke also acknowledged the important role sponsors play in the success of the annual fundraiser. “Most of these sponsors have been with us from the beginning or through the long-term and we want to thank them,” said Daeke. “Their support helps us to get this up and running so that it’s a successful fundraiser for us and our children, who are the benefactors.”

This year’s sponsors include:

Super Ducks – Duke Energy, Fred’s Towing & Transport, Union Bank and Mako Medical Laboratories

Top Ducks – NC Pediatrics, Chick-fil-A and University Dental Associates – Dr. Charles Burnham

Feathered Friends – Rogers Group, McDonalds, Sugar & Spice Preschool, Scotts Trucking Company and Wester Insurance Agency

Quacker Backers – WIZS Radio, Greystone Concrete Products, City of Henderson and Dataforge

All proceeds from the Ducky Derby are used to fund Smart Start programs.

Those interested in purchasing tickets, volunteering at the event or with questions may contact the F-G-V Smart Start office at (252) 433-9110 or visit the NC Smart Start website at www.ncsmartstart.org.

(This is not a paid advertisement)

F-G-V Smart Start Seeking Sponsors for 9th Annual Ducky Derby Fundraiser

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-Information courtesy Sandra Wilkerson, Director of Admin and Events, Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce

Franklin-Granville-Vance Smart Start, Inc. will hold its 9th annual Ducky Derby fundraiser in downtown Henderson on Saturday, September 15 at 2 p.m.

Garnett Street will be filled with a river of rubber ducks and a fun time for everyone. Tickets will be sold to purchase ducks and the chance to win the Grand Prize – $1,000; 2nd Prize – $500; 3rd Prize – $250. Even the last duck wins a $100 prize!

There will also be a drawing at the end of the race for Chick-fil-A for a year (must be present to win this prize).

FGV Smart Start needs sponsors to assist with the cost of our event. Sponsorship levels are: Super Duck – $500; Top Duck – $250; Feathered Friend – $100; Quacker Backer – $50.

All sponsors for this year’s event will be recognized on Ducky Derby posters throughout the three-county area, radio advertisements, newspaper articles, the FGV Smart Start website and Facebook page and the Smart Ducky Derby website. We hope that you will consider being a sponsor for our newest event. Together, we are “Building Brighter Futures for Children.”

For information about being a sponsor, please call Garry Daeke at 252-433-9110, extension 227.

(This is not a paid advertisement)

Smart Start’s Imagination Library Program Continues to Grow

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Garry Daeke, development coordinator for Franklin-Granville-Vance (FGV) Smart Start was recently on WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss FGV’s reading program and upcoming events.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

Founded by singer and entertainer Dolly Parton’s Dollywood Foundation in 1995, the Imagination Library has been a part of Vance County on a smaller scale since 2005.

With the recent additional funding provided by the NC legislature, Daeke reports that FGV’s Imagination Library program has grown from approximately 400 participants to almost 2,000 in the tri-county area since January of this year.

Children ages birth to five who are residents of Franklin, Granville or Vance County can receive one book a month in the mail free of charge. “Children can really accumulate a small library, a potential of 60 books,” said Daeke. “These are high-quality Scholastic books and the kids have ownership of them.”

The first book participants receive is “The Little Engine That Could” by Watty Piper, which, according to Daeke, plays into Parton’s theme of the fire engine. The last book in the series is “Kindergarten Here I Come” by D.J. Steinberg and teaches children ideas and concepts that will prepare them for elementary school.

According to Daeke, the goal of the program is to make books available to all children, regardless of income, and to increase their exposure to language and concepts at an early age. “Brain science says children’s brains are 85% developed by the age of five. Dolly’s program is teaching children to read and helping them understand higher concepts,” said Daeke.

The books are developmentally appropriate for children at the age of sign up and change each month as the child grows. “Children get really excited about getting something positive in the mail,” said Daeke. “That’s part of the program’s design. They are excited about books, excited about reading and even kind of demanding when their books come each month for mom or dad to sit down right then and read the book to them.”

Applications can be found at various locations around town including pediatric offices, childcare centers, the Vance County Public Health Department, Maria Parham Health, the Perry Memorial Library and the FGV Smart Start office.

Roundtable Discussion – Perry Memorial Library

The FGV Smart Start will hold a roundtable discussion at Perry Memorial Library, 205 Breckenridge St. in downtown Henderson on Thursday, June 28 from 6 – 7:30 p.m. This discussion is open to the public and will include several community organizations including Pre-K Coordinators, Cooperative Extension agents and Smart Start staff.

“The idea is to bring people together for a general discussion on how we can engage and what we can do for children in our communities,” Daeke said.

9th Annual Ducky Derby

The 9th Annual Ducky Derby will be held in downtown Henderson on Saturday, September 15, 2018. Rubber ducks will race two blocks down Garnett Street with top prizes of $1000, $500, $250 and $100 to the first through fourth place winners.

A festival will be held in the outdoor area between the Perry Memorial Library and the Henderson Police Department from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Tickets for ducks will go on sale in the next few weeks at $5 a duck, six ducks for $25 or a “flock” of 25 ducks for $100.

According to Daeke, Greystone Concrete of Henderson will once again pour the ducks out of a cement truck to ensure all enter the race in a timely fashion.

All proceeds from the Ducky Derby are used to fund Smart Start programs. FGV Smart Start is looking for sponsors for this year’s event.

Those interested in any of these events or with questions may contact the FGV Smart Start office at (252) 433-9110 or visit the NC Smart Start website at www.ncsmartstart.org.