Photo By Bill Bittar
THE DUCKS.
DERBY — Tracy Maher of Derby won the $10,000 grand prize during “The Great Housatonic Duck Race” Saturday, a fundraiser for the St. Mary – St. Michael School on Seymour Avenue.
A payloader dropped 2,500 yellow rubber duckies into the river as the temperature hovered around 90 degrees with unbearable humidity.
Maher’s duck, purchased for $10, was the first to reach the finish line.
Despite the heat, a decent crowd watched from the bridge and along the Derby River Walk.
The duck race was held during “Summerfest,” a community event with vendors, food, and music on the Derby Green that was previously known as “Derby Day.”
Gary Jachimowski of Seymour and Christine Jalowiec of Woodbridge, won $1,000 each in the duck race.
Also, 17 winners took home gift baskets, each worth around $50.
“It’s our biggest fundraiser,” said Judy Szewczyk, a Duck Race Committee member.
Mayor Richard Dziekan, an alumnus of the school, attended the race and said “Summerfest” as a whole is a way to get people to see some of the new businesses opening downtown, such as Retro Grub and Pub at 87 Elizabeth St., and Likoba, a new fashion boutique on Elizabeth Street.
“I think it’s awesome to see each other,” Dziekan said. “It stimulates the economy downtown. The Route 34 widening project is moving along. Once we get this done, I envision more people down here, more development, and events like this will grow.”
The mayor said he looks forward to the city’s fireworks display on July 3, adding there is a friendly competition between Derby and Shelton, whose show will be on the other side of the river.
(Editor’s note: Derby always wins)
The duck race was very much a Derby community event, keeping with the overall theme of “Summerfest.”
Dziekan said city firefighters, led by Assistant Fire Chief Dave Lenart, had a rescue boat in the water to catch the ducks. He was joined by former Alderman Art Gerckens, whose two daughters went to the school, and school Principal Grace Torres.
“They’ll retrieve the ducks. None will float into the Sound. We have a 100-percent retrieval rate — no duck left behind,” Mayor Dziekan joked.
Gerckens was part of a group of parents who saved the school from shutting down in 2010.
“The thing I love about the duck race is as a born and raised Derbyite, I get to see the community pull together as a team for the benefit of a beloved part of our city,” he said.
“I’m impressed by people like Jack Jurkowski and his son Mike, who have been manning the kayaks all these years to assist in the collection of the ducks.”
Gerckens also thanked Mike Tracz and his family of Tracy’s Service Station and Garage who set up the collection boom across the river, the volunteer firefighters from Derby and Shelton who make the event safe, the local contractors who donate a payloader to drop the ducks off the bridge each year, and the involvement of all of the volunteers, families and community leaders.
