Race Day 2025
Chuck Bonza led our first Duck Race Committee (DRC) meeting. Kathy Groesbeck took minutes. This report is a summary only. If you would like the actual meeting minutes, please email anneslack@aol.com.
Chuck began the meeting by thanking all the members of our Rotary who had accepted leadership positions.
Dale Bonza: Publicity
Annie Slack: Event Day Coordinator
Beth Weisberg: Volunteer Coordinator
Jeff Lindberg (non-Rotarian) and Lawrence Trifiletti: IT Software
Chris Davis: Duck Wrangler
Suzy Blackhurst: Major Prizes/Sponsors
Heidi Schweikert: Lucky Duck, followed by Suzanne Jurgens for safety (both non-Rotarians)
Merchandise Sales: Jill Zerhan
Sarah Walsh: Merchant Prize Coordinator
Carl Robicheaux: River Marshall/Sheriff
Ben Van der Werf: Finish Line
Rick Life: Starting Line
Larry Williams: Participating Organization Coordinator
A clipboard will be passed around weekly for members to sign up under these Team Leaders. The Big4Ducks (Chuck Bonza, Suzy Blackhurst, Beth Weisberg, and Annie Slack) have tried to determine the number of helpers needed for each task. Once all the spaces are filled, the clipboard will stop rotating.
Chuck listed the tasks the Big4 have been working on, and asked for the Committee’s approval.
- The brand name will be: The Great Estes Park Rotary Duck Race
- October will be a “design month” to determine the Duck Race (DR) budget, which will require approval from the Board and the DRC.
- The Finish Line will be located at the Visitor’s Center.
- The Start Line will be somewhere between Filbey Court and the Performance Park area.
- There will be two Flights of ducks, with half the number of purchased adoptions in each heat.
- The number of prizes available will determine the number of ducks in the final race. Ducks will be collected from the winners of each Flight up to half the prize total.
- The final heat will have as many ducks as there are Grand Prizes and Merchant Prizes.
Flights will begin at
#1: 11:00 AM
#2: 12:30 PM
#3: 2:00 PM
These times may be adjusted depending on the river’s flow and audience interest.
Various themes and branding were discussed.
Larry Williams will work with Participating Organizations. Each organization must provide one adult volunteer to assist the DR and adopt a minimum of 25 ducks to be eligible for the 2027 DR.
Kick-Off Night is expected to happen at the end of February or in early March.
Riverwalk considerations included:
- Number of tables needed by Organizations
- Placement of a stage, food trucks
- Barriers for the parking lot by the Visitor’s Center
- Placement of entertainment must be away from the Finish Line to allow those volunteers wrangling ducks to hear each other.
Suzy Blackhurst is handling grants.
Sponsors are being considered, and names will be announced when these are determined.
Major Prizes will be determined later.
Team Leaders will be asked to report their progress at subsequent DRC meetings
The next DRC meeting is scheduled for Thursday, November 13, immediately following the Club meeting at the Legion.
Annie/Dale
