ARDMORE – There won’t be hundreds of ducks floating down the Beaver River for the second year in a row.
Due to COVID-19, Ardmore School is once again taking a different approach to their annual fundraiser.
Monika Iverson, chairperson for the Ardmore Duck Race said due to the uncertainty of the pandemic, organizers weren’t able to get “all our ducks in a row,” in time to host a big event this year.
“It just didn’t work out,” she noted, adding it takes a lot of planning, and even with the restrictions lifted, there just wasn’t enough time to pull it all together.
Last year would have marked 30 years of the Ardmore Duck Race, which raises funds for various activities and programs at the local school.
Taking a similar approach to last year, the duck race will once again be a draw, scheduled for Aug. 18 outside of Ardmore School.
Tickets are available for purchase online and in person. Baby Cherry Greenhouse, Touch of Green Greenhouse, M&M Mini Mart, and the Northern Lights Gas Station are some of the places people can get their hands on some.
Iverson said they have a fundraising goal of $18,000 this year. Part of the money will go toward the outdoor classroom at Ardmore School, which officially broke ground at the beginning of July.
“This has been a project seven years in the making. We just don’t have space outside that people can take the kids to and do a class outside, because sometimes it gets stifling hot in the school in the spring and summer,” detailed Iverson. “We saw that need, the Parent Advisory Board (PAC), years ago and it’s just taken this many years to get everything organized, get it okayed through the school and through permitting and with budgeting and changing of budgeting. It was just a big thing that the PAC and school felt would be greatly used for years and years to come.”
The budget for the outdoor classroom has increased recently and currently sits at $50,000. So far, the PAC has raised roughly $36,000 and is planning on doing it in a phased approach. The first phase is currently underway at the school, with the construction of the structure happening this summer.
The funds raised from the Duck Race are also used to support students.
“A lot of the money goes toward bussing,” explained Iverson. “The students don’t pay any fees for bussing... PAC covers the costs of bussing as well as every fee for pretty much anything... It allows them to be able to go to anything. It doesn’t matter the financial situation of the family.”
Even though they couldn’t go ahead with dumping 2,000 ducks into the Beaver River, Iverson stressed it was still important to raise funds.
“The school still needs the money and we’re crossing our fingers that buses will be running for them to go back to normal next year and we need those funds,” she expressed. “We’re going to do that and, fingers crossed, we’re going to have an event next year and it’s going to be awesome.”
The draw on Aug. 18 will be live-streamed through the Ardmore Duck Race’s social media page.
Robynne Henry, Bonnyville Nouvelle
