for the DUCK RACE!

Today my neighbors Tonya & Mackenzie and Caleb & I celebrated one of Estes Park's most important spring time events...The DUCK RACE!

So, the Rotary club hosts this huge fund raiser for all sorts of non profits in town every year and it is a BIG deal. You buy a duck for $20 and $19 of the dollars goes to the charity of choice. The top prizes this year were 52" flat screen TV and a lap top among others. In years past, the top prize was 7 days in Hawaii. Last year I won a free large pizza!

So, we started off at Nicky's restaurant to watch the official "drop"- 5,906 rubber duckies fell into the water and started floating down the river. Don't worry, there were plenty of "duck watchers" along the  route ready to help the ducks if they got stuck in rocks or branches along the way!

While we waited for the first duck to cross the finish line, we got our picture taken with "Big Duck" (that's what Mackenzie called him!). Caleb just liked touching his fur/feathers.

There were tons of people waiting for the ducks to cross the finish line at Riverside Plaza along with bands, face painting, balloon making, and a bake sale!

Mackenzie - not sure how she feels about her face painting.  

This is the "Head Duck" waving the checkered flag as the first little duck swims under the finish line. This is by far my favorite part! The Head Duck's jacket says, "The duck stops here!"

Oh! I love where we live! This little town cracks me up!