Passavant Lifeline Sponsors 24th annual Duck Race at Nichols Park

By Benjamin Cox on May 19, 2018 at 1:53pm

A local team of medical professionals invite you to Nichols Park this weekend to experience fun for the whole family.

The Lifeline Medical Alert Services team is sponsoring the 24th Annual Duck Race for Lifeline at Nichols Park on Sunday. Lifeline is a round the clock mobile health and care service for seniors provided by Passavant Hospital since 1984.

Jan Fellhauer is the Director of Volunteers and Lifeline for Passavant Hospital. Fellhauer details the importance the community brings to this event, as well as the prizes for top duck finishers in the race.

“The 24th Annual Passavant Area Hospital Duck Race for Lifeline is very important to Passavant. It’s an annual fundraiser. This year, we have a little over three thousand ducks that will be on the water. These ducks are sold for a 5 dollar donation. 10 ducks will be declared winners: 1st prize is a thousand dollars. Second place is five hundred, third is three hundred, and fourth place is two hundred. Places 5 through 10 will receive one hundred dollar gift certificates from the Passavant gift shop.”

Fellhauer features a look at some offerings at the event.

“Community Summer Band will come out and play at 1:00 p.m., the Grotto wagon will be there at about noon, and every child in attendance will go home with a rubber duck.”

Local elementary school students will also be featured for their duck artistry, and Fellhauer names the judges for this coloring contest.

“Again this year we’re having the children’s coloring contest: pre-school, kindergarten, and first grade. We received five hundred entries for this display, and there are four judges. They’re all retired school teachers. Barb Hansmeier, Marilyn Kimmons, Linda Swisher and Debbie Richards. Pictures are judged on creativity, originality, artistic style and developmental ability, and these ladies have spent a long time judging these ducks.”

Fellhauer gives an overall timeline for the event at Nichols Park and names the judges for the race.

“I encourage every one to come out, bring your lawn chair. Everything will be set up about twelve o’clock, have some snacks with us. Winchester Band starts at 1, and the duck race begins at 2. The three duck officials will be: Harry Schmidt, President and CEO of Passavant Hospital; Dave Bolen, the Vice President and CFO; and Reggie Benton is the Chairperson of the Board of Directors.”

Nichols Park in in South Jacksonville off Vandalia Road. Tickets for this event are five dollars when you arrive.