The Naugatuck Chamber of Commerce, a partner with the Waterbury Regional Chamber, is seeking local area non-profit organizations to benefit from the Chamber’s 7th Annual Duck Day and Race to be held Sunday, June 3, 2012 in historic downtown Naugatuck. Created in 2006 by the Naugatuck Chamber of Commerce, the Duck Day and Race has grown to over 20,000 rubber ducks being dumped by a pay-loader from the Whittemore Bridge to race down the Naugatuck River with the ambition to be among the first 50 ducks to win the competition.
During the June 3rd Duck Day Race, Maple and Water Streets in Naugatuck will be transformed with food and craft vendors, live music, games, circus talent and much more. Businesses will exhibit their products and services to the thousands of event attendees. Raffle tickets will be sold for prizes to be announced throughout the day.
Lynn Ward, president and CEO of the Waterbury Regional Chamber and the Naugatuck Chamber of Commerce is seeking local area non-profit organizations to assist the Chambers’ ambitions to sell raffle tickets to the general public for the Duck Day and Race. “This is an annual event that draws over 5,000 attendees. By participating in the selling of tickets, each non-profit organization gains the opportunity to raise money specifically to support their individual group’s mission and cause.” With no cost to the participating non-profit organizations, the Naugatuck Chamber of Commerce will donate 50 percent of all the proceeds from the Duck Race raffle ticket sales, sold by Chamber members and members of each participating non-profit organization, back to non-profit groups.
Non-profit organizations do not need to secure a minimum number of tickets to sell, nor are there a maximum number of ticket sales required for a donation to be made to the participating non-profit organizations immediately following the race on Sunday, June 3rd. “In 2011,” stated Ward, “more than 80 non-profit organizations and school groups collectively earned over $40,000 through their participation.”
In 2011, the top three organizations to sell the largest number of tickets to benefit their organizations were Cub Scout Pack 20 which sold 920 tickets and raised $2,300; the Naugatuck Elks Lodge 967 which sold 523 tickets and raised$1,307.50; and the Shepherd-Salem Masonic Lodge No. 78 which sold 450 tickets and raised $1,100 for their organization.
To reserve raffle tickets for individual non-profit organizations to sell to the general public for the June 3, 2012 Duck Day and Race in Naugatuck, organizations are asked to obtain an application form and complete the form by March 1, 2012. To obtain application forms, contact Kim Knightly at kknightly@waterburychamber.com. Completed application forms can be faxed to the Waterbury Regional Chamber at 203-756-3507, or U.S. Mailed to the Waterbury Regional Chamber at 83 Bank Street, Waterbury, CT 06721.
To learn more about the Naugatuck Chamber Duck Day and Race visit www.duckday.com, call203-757-0701, or email to info@waterburychamber.com.