Another Successful Rubber Duck Festival Complete! Thank you!!!

On a weather-perfect Saturday afternoon, thousands of "adopted" rubber duckies raced breathlessly down the Passaic River for prizes on June 11th, as the Berkeley Heights Rotary Club celebrated their 13th Annual Rubber Ducky Race & Festival at the Passaic River Park in Berkeley Heights.

 

Drawing a crowd of over a thousand spectators and participants, this event has become an annual mainstay for Berkeley Heights and neighboring townships. Admission, as always, was free. In addition to the famous race, guests enjoyed displays and booths from commercial exhibitors including the Chimney Rock Inn, eMedical Urgent Care, Master Kim's Talium Taekwondo,

Power Home Remodeling, and Tri-State Improvements/Gutter Protection Co.

Not-for-profit local groups represented were the Berkeley Heights Library, Volunteer Rescue Squad, and YMCA. Hot pizza and hand-made sandwiches this year came from Clemente’s Pizza. This event also offered a “dunk tank” and games for kids from two to ninety-two. The “bounce house” was donated once again by the Taylor Rental owner and past Rotary Club President, Paul Neuwirth. Music and announcements were provided by teen “DJ Infinite.” The Berkeley Heights Fire department brought one of their bigger firefighting trucks, which kids could climb on and “inspect” close-up. The BH Police Department provided personal on-site safety.

 

This event directly benefitted Berkeley Heights Boy Scout Troops 68 and 368, and Cub Scout Pack 368; Millington Troop 56, New Providence Senior Citizens, and the Suburban Chambers of Commerce. Net funds generated by this event are also used by the Berkeley Heights Rotary Club throughout the coming year for the benefit of in-town organizations such as the Volunteer Rescue Squad, Police Department, and the Memorial Park Renewal Committee. Funds from this event also underwrite the scholarships the Rotary Club gives to graduating Governor Livingston High School students, the Berkeley Heights Educational Foundation, and student dictionaries for every Berkeley Heights third-grader. The Rotary Club also contributes directly to community service projects undertaken by local Scouts in their quest for Eagle Scout—the nationally recognized highest rank in Boy Scouting.

 

In addition to these local contributions and initiatives, the Berkeley Heights Rotary Club also contributes annually to the Polio Plus initiative of Rotary International. This initiative, begun by Rotary Clubs world-wide in 1985, is relentlessly eradicating polio throughout the world—over the past 31 years Rotary Clubs and partners in this endeavor have reduced new cases of polio worldwide from over 350,000 men, women, and children every year prior to 1985 to a mere 20, in just two remaining countries, in 2016 to date.

 

Top prize for the fastest duck this year was a Weber Spirit gas grill. Other top prizes included gift cards to Delicious Heights Restaurant, Trap Rock Restaurant, and the Chimney Rock Inn.

 

This year's Platinum Sponsor was the soon-to-open Embassy Suites hotel, owned and managed by Hilton and the Connell Companies. Additional major sponsors included Cornerstone Analytics, Door Boy, Investors Bank, Taylor Rental, and TAPinto.net (formerly The Alternative Press.net).