Adopt a rubber duck and help Rutherford county children on The Murfreesboro Post

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Adopt a rubber duck and help Rutherford county children

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By: By LISA MARCHESONI, Senior Writer

Posted: Sunday, August 10, 2008 7:35 am

Stones River will be a sea of yellow ducks when more than 10,000 rubber ducks float to the finish line during the annual Child Advocacy Center Rubber Duck Derby.

But it can’t happen without people adopting ducks.

CAC board member Kristin Demos said only 1,035 ducks have been adopted so far.

“We have truly gone quacky this year with the ducks,” Demos said. “We have the 6-quack available, which is six ducks for $25 bucks, including a complimentary coupon card to Carrabba's Italian Grille. We also have the Quacker’s Dozen for $50 bucks and a Flock of Ducks, which is 25 ducks for $100 bucks. We have realized that our ducks are social, they like to float with friends. A single duck adoption is great, but a flock is even better."

People may buy ducks online at murfreesboropost.com, Mid-South Bank, Lascassas Drugs, Bell Jewelers, Top of the Block, Demos’ restaurant, Carrabba’s, Elrod and Co., Sloan’s Motorcycles, Angel Image and wgnsradio.com.

Ducks will launch at 4:19 p.m. Aug. 23 at the Sportsman’s Club on the east bank of the Stones River off Medical Center Parkway. The person who bought the winning duck will receive a trip to Walt Disney World donated by District Attorney General Bill Whitesell and his wife, Lucy.

CAC Director Sharon De Boer said the proceeds will be used by the CAC to provide services to victims of child abuse and sexual child abuse and drug-endangered children in Rutherford and Cannon counties. The center helped almost 4,600 children and 1,800 parents and grandparents in the last eight years.

“The Child Advocacy Center has had significant federal funding cuts this year,” De Boer said. “We are very grateful to the local businesses and individuals who are supporting us through the rubber duck derby.”

The event will kick off with Middle Tennessee Medical Center’s Fun Festival at 1 p.m.

MTMC spokeswoman Angie Boyd Chambers said the medical center spent $7,500 for the care of the poor and community benefit for the CAC and Family Fun Zone at the event.

“There’s going to be a tent and activities for kids, inflatables and booths with giveaways,” Chambers said. “There will be an area for children to play and have activities to do during the duck derby.”

The event is free.

Timm Glover, vice president of mission and leadership at MTMC, said MTMC is partnering with the Child Advocacy Center to support its mission in caring for children who are the victims of abuse and sexual abuse.

“Our mission draws us in a particular way to those who are most vulnerable in our community,” Glover said. “I give special thanks to the staff and associates of our pediatrics unit for taking on this community benefit and ministry effort.”

Demos agrees the CAC provides a critical service for children.

"When I see the number of children that are using the services of the Child Advocacy Center, I am horrified,” Demos said. “I am even more horrified to realize these are our children here in Rutherford County. It could be my child, my child's teammate on the T-ball team, a classmate at school — these are our children. I not only feel compelled to do something to help, I feel that it is my responsibility to help.

“I realize that we are in uncertain times with the economy right now, but what we don't think about is that these atrocities against children still happen in good economic times and bad,” Demos said.

“The center still needs to provide services for these victims and can't do it without public support. It is our hope that everyone views this as an opportunity to help us out by adopting a duck. Many people can afford $5 bucks for a great cause and the proceeds from each duck adoption go directly to funding services for the child victims of sexual abuse.”

Besides the grand prize, other prizes include:

• Second prize, a 2008 scooter donated by Sloan’s.

• Third prize, Four open-air box tickets to the MTSU-North Texas football game Nov. 22 at MTSU donated by Andy Womack and Bud Morris.

• Fourth prize, a $500 gift certificate donated by Bell Jewelers.

• Fifth prize, a $500 gift certificate donated by Demos’ restaurant.

• Sixth prize, an autographed guitar by country music entertainer Chris Young.

• Seventh prize, a UT sports pack of an autographed football by Phil Fulmer and autographed basketballs by Bruce Pearl and Pat Summit.

• Eighth prize, a Ducky Dream Pack of a a $50 gift certificate from Elrod and Co., an engraved bracelet from Mullins Jeweler and Gifts, a spa pack from Angels Crossing and a $50 savings bond from SunTrust Bank.

• Ninth prize, a Quacky Pack of a $125 car detail from Reddell Honda, gift basket from Top of the Block and a $100 gift certificate to Antiques Unlimited.

• 10th prize, season tickets to Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach, S.C., from SafeHarbor Holdings LLC.

Lisa Marchesoni may be reached at 869-0814 or at lmarchesoni@murfreesboropost.com.

Tagged under EVENT

Member Opinions:

By: lightchick on 8/11/08
Do you have to be present to win? We have other plans for the day.

By: krpe on 8/12/08
No, you don't have to be present to win. Its a great cause, thank you for your inquiry!