BEDFORD – The Ugly Duck Derby Kick-Off event took place on Thursday night, which saw the Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence County sell over 6,000 tickets for the June derby.
Each purchase of a 40 ticket for $100 bundle entered the buyer for a chance to win a week-long stay in a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo in Siesta Key, Florida, which was won by Kelsi Sullivan.
Overall, Boys and Girls Club Chief Professional Officer Frank Decker felt the event was a success.
“We’ve got a good start. We’ve sold a little over 6000 tickets and that’s the whole purpose of the event. Things were pretty busy tonight. We didn’t have as many people come but we had people buy tickets and get in the drawing, so that was excellent. That’s the whole purpose of this, to have that many tickets sold at this stage. That’s a good thing of course,” he said.
Decker said the amount of tickets sold to this point is above average compared to other years. With around 4,000 left to move, he’s hopeful to keep the momentum going for their first-ever sellout.
“Anytime that we can get over 5000 or more on a kickoff date, that’s good. Then, it gets hard to sell the other 4000 between now and June. It’s gonna take a while. You know, we’ve never actually sold all 10,000. We’ve been over nine a time or two. It’d be great if we could finish it all for sure and sell all 10,000,” said Decker.
This year’s event, set for June 10 at the John Lowery Municipal Pool, will differ from previous years, as this one will include a community swim before the derby.
That portion of the event, possible through a partnership with United Way, will see the pool opened up from Noon until 6 p.m. for anyone to enjoy a swim. There will also be relay races, as well as other events for children who attend.
Decker said this year’s derby is a more child-focused event, with a greater focus on activities aimed to be fun for younger swimmers.
“It’s all kid focused this year and that’s what the community swim is about. We’re hoping to have relays and a few challenges for the youth from about 4-6 p.m. in that timeframe or different times,” he said.
At 6 p.m. starts the derby, where $6,500 in prizes will be up for grabs for winners.
Though the discounted rate is no longer available, it’s not too late to buy tickets. They are available with the following pricing.
- 1 Duck – $5
- 5 Ducks – $20
- 13 Ducks – $50
- 26 Ducks – $100
If you missed the discounted rated tickets, you can still purchase tickets by contacting Ashley Gilstrap at agilstrap@bgcblc.org or calling 812-583-8908, asking a Boys & Girls Club Board Member, or stopping by the Limestone Unit.
