Race for PACE to fill Manatee River with at least 15K ducks

It takes a lot of effort to find adopted parents for 15,000 ducks.

Especially when they’re made out of rubber.

But that’s exactly what scores of volunteers have been trying to do over the last six months to raise money for PACE Center for Girls of Manatee County, whose mission is to help get girls back on track through education, counseling, training and advocacy.

The rubber ducks in this case are all going to be launched at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday into the Manatee River at Caddy’s at the Pointe, 215 Eighth St. E., Bradenton and float along for prizes for their adopted parents in the Eighth annual Lucky Ducky Race for PACE.

A $5 donation to PACE’s main annual fund-raiser buys the donor one duck, an official adoption paper and a chance to win the grand prize of a two-year lease on a new Chevrolet Cruz from Cox Chevrolet/Mazda in Bradenton or a $6,000 cash option if their duck is the first qualifying duck to finish the race and be gathered in the duck trap.

Second prize is a once a week dinner for two at the Anna Maria Oyster Bar.

“PACE makes a difference in the lives of girls,” said Bradenton’s Amanda Horne, who joined with Jennifer Hoffman and Dottie Turner to form the “Quackerjacks,” one of many community teams which are selling ducky adoptions. “When you adopt a duck you help a girl. Your adoption will allow us to give a girl the opportunity of a bright and successful future, one that she could not even have imagined without PACE.”

Adopting a single duck provides a girl with the essential supplies she needs to be successful academically, according to the Manatee PACE website.

A “Quack Pack” for $20 yields five ducks and provides a one-month student pass for the MCAT bus, which many students must use, the website states.

A “Flock of Ducks” for $100 yields 30 ducks and provides a girl and her family with initial counseling and goal setting.

As of Monday, nearly 13,000 ducks were adopted with a goal of 18,000 adopted ducks and the minimum to be launched set at 15,000, race officials said.

Marisa Powers was the community team leader on Monday with 288 ducks adopted. Sunshine Bank and Wagner’s Waddlers were close behind at 200 ducks, race officials confirmed.

In the area of staff led teams, Sun’s Shakin’ a Tailfeather had a huge lead at 1,271 ducks as of Monday.

The Bradenton Herald is once again sponsoring a Best Dressed Ducks People’s Choice Award. Vote for your favorite duck and be enterered to wine a $50 Anna Maria Oyster Bar gift certificate. Go to bradenton.com/contests.

This story was originally published May 9, 2017 at 2:08 PM with the headline "Race for PACE to fill Manatee River with at least 15K ducks."