WESTBOROUGH – On a sunny Saturday morning, community members gathered around Mill Pond Spillway to watch the Westborough Lions Club’s third annual Rubber Duck Derby fundraiser.
Over 280 rubber ducks competed in the derby, navigating rapids filled with rocks, tall grass, and tight turns designed to slow down the competitors. The winning duck was decided by just centimeters.
Spectators – including many children – ran alongside the ducks to keep up with the action. The frequent lead changes throughout the race lead to much excitement.
“When you see all the ducks going down the water, it’s really quite dramatic,” Westborough Lions Club member Tony Ash said. “You don’t really know how eventful it is until you see it.”
This year’s field was competitive, and every duck showed up ready to compete. Several specialty ducks stood out from the other competitors, including the Disco Diva Duck, the Happy Birthday Duck, Plumber Duck, Guitar Player Duck, and the Quackadile Rock Duck.
Before the event, Susan Ash, the Westborough Lions Club communications and publicity officer, told the Community Advocate that the ducks had trained hard for the competition.
“We do have a coach that’s been working with the ducks over the past few months – coach Bill Bellychick – and he’s been pretty strict with them about their training,” she said.
The Lions Club posted weekly updates on Facebook chronicling the ducks’ intense training regimen. In one post, Bellychick encouraged his team to “snap, quackle, and pop their way to the finish line.”
Ultimately, an average yellow duck was able to float past the specialty ducks and secure the win.
Members of the community began sponsoring the rubber ducks three months ago. The sponsor of the winning duck received $500, while the second- and third-place sponsors also received prizes.
The Lions Club plans to use the money raised from the event to fund an academic scholarship for one high-school-aged Westborough resident. According to the club’s website, funds will also be used to “support eye research [and] diabetes camps for kids.”
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