Lucy Whitesell and Peter Demos prep some of the 10,000 ducks.
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About 10,000 ducks flew into Murfreesboro for the annual Child Advocacy Center’s Rubber Duck Derby Saturday at the Sportsman’s Club on Medical Center Parkway.
Ducks will launch at 4:19 p.m. for the big race. Ducks may be adopted for $5 apiece the day right up until race time.
Beginning at 1 p.m., Middle Tennessee Medical Center will sponsor a free family fun day event with games, inflatable toys and other entertainment.
The Murfreesboro Post interviewed Kristin Demos, the Queen of the Quackers, to learn more about the race.
TMP: What is a duck derby anyway?
QQ: Well, it's kinda like the Kentucky derby. Ours is just the Ten-ducky Derby! The big difference is that all the bets placed for horse racing make the race more exciting. Our quacktastic prizes, on the other hand is what really makes our derby just ducky! Who wouldn't want to take a trip to Walt Disney World with Bill and Lucy Whitesell footing the bill?
That scooter offered by Sloan's has really got my tail in a ruffle too! I also hear that Andy Womack and Bud Morris are offering box seats to an MTSU game — we ducks are huge Big Blue fans — needless to say, “We are all in!”
TMP: How can you adopt a duck?
QQ: Adoptin’ ducks is easy to do. You can adopt me and my friends online at www.murfreesboropost.com or visit any of the Duck Central locations which are Angel's Crossing, Bell Jewelers, Demos' Restaurant, dnj.com, Elrod & Company, Lascassas Drug Store, MidSouth Bank (all locations), Reeves Sain Drug Store, State Farm agents Andy Womack and Bud Morris, Top of the Block, and www.wgnsradio.com. Remember, we do OK floating solo with just one adoption but we really love floating with friends when you buy the 6-quack!
TMP: How do you use the money?
QQ: All the proceeds from the duck adoptions go back to providing services for child victims of sexual abuse at the Child Advocacy Center. The center works as part of a multi-disciplinary team with Child Protective Services, law enforcement, mental health counselors, domestic violence counselors and the office of the District Attorney. The goal of the center is to provide safety, justice and healing for the victims and the victims’ non-offending family members.
TMP: How do you make the ducks float down the river?
QQ: While some ducks use different quack-niques, my preferred method is to be dropped from the sky in a shower of yellow and hit the water where I propel myself with lightning speed to the finish line.
Keep in mind though, not all ducks are created equal, you can lead a duck to water but you can't make him float. Therefore, we have Wing Team volunteers Jason Adreon and Kim Council in charge of keepin’ our quackers in line, so to speak. They have devised a duck dump plan that is revolutionary to the world of duck racing. It is much too involved to explain in print. You just need to come witness it for yourself at 4:19 p.m. on Aug. 23 at the Sportsman's Club.
TMP: How far do the ducks float?
QQ: Some ducks have more stamina than others ... for those of us who quack our way to the finish line we will have floated approximately a mile. That's a marathon in duck world. Those of us who don't make it to the finish line have obviously not trained enough for the challenge. We usually call them the lame duck!
TMP: Do ducks do training to get ready to race?
QQ: Absolutely, duck racing is serious business! Personally, I like to get checked out by my friends at MTMC to be sure I am in ducktastic shape for the race. I also stop by Stones River Eye Center to be sure my vision is still 20/20. I need to be able to see so I can goose my opponents out of the way. Then I head down to Top of the Block for a good massage to relax my quackers a bit. Right before the race I usually hit my favorite local eatery Demos’ Restaurant. This year they are offering a Quacker Special that is the Philly Cheesesteak (not duck-steak thank goodness) sandwich with a side item, salad or soup, and a duck adoption for just 10 bucks! Finally, I check in with my State Farm Insurance agents, Andy Womack and Bud Morris just to be sure I am covered ... in case of any duckalities!
TMP: Where do 10,000 ducks come from?
QQ: We’re traveling ducks. Some of us have floated from as far away as Juneau, Ala., and Buffalo, N.Y. Most of this flock, however came from Arkansas. It’s a nice area but we hear that Murfreesboro is a real quackin’ town! We are so excited it took over 50 volunteers this past Wednesday to get us all ducked out for the big day. We hope all 10,000 of us get to float on Saturday so we can make a big splash for the ‘Boro, but we need your help by adopting my pals.
TMP: What's it take to get ready for race day?
QQ: Well, it takes a flock of sponsors like MTMC, Verizon Wireless, Carrabba's Italian Grille, The Murfreesboro Antique's Association, MidSouth Bank, Murfreesboro Medical Clinic, Charity Circle, Bob Parks, Junior League of Murfreesboro, The Murfreesboro Post, WGNS Radio, the Daily News Journal and the Firehouse Band just to mention a few. All in all the Wing Team at the Child Advocacy Center has secured close to 40 sponsors to make this event happen. There are also over 50 volunteers who are involved in making the Derby a success all under the ducktastic leadership of the Wing Team Steering Committee which includes Jason Adreon, Holly Lane-Adreon, Beth Cope, Kim Council, Kathy Ferrell, Timm Glover, Ann Wells, Jolene Messmer, Lisa Wells and Kristin Demos.
TMP: Will any live ducks compete?
QQ: It really wouldn’t be a fair “float” for the live ducks since we have so much racing experience. We are like the Michael Phelps of duck racing, no one can keep up with these tail feathers.
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