By Linda Jones
In Black Hawk and Central City, casino team members are secretly costuming large sunglass-wearing ducks and training them for the 7th annual Peak to Peak Rotary “Peak to Creek Duck Race” on Saturday, July 24. (The duck race is the largest event of the summer on North Clear Creek in Black Hawk.) Hundreds of small ducks race in the Citizens Race to win the Grand Prize of $1,000 for their “adopter,” while the large decorated ducks race separately in the Sponsors Race for the traveling First Place trophy.
Adopt a duck for $5 for a chance to win $1,000 during the Peak to Creek Duck Race on Saturday, July 24.
Headquarters for the fun will be the Golden Mardi Gras patio from 1 – 2:30 p.m. on July 24. Stop by and enjoy the fun, listen to the band, adopt a duck, walk alongside the colorful, but not necessarily speedy, ducks in the Citizens Race as they float, tangle in willows, spin in whirlpools or get stranded on rocks. Adopt a small duck for only $5 to race in the Citizens Race for the Grand Prize of $1,000. The First Prize is a season ski pass to Eldora Mountain Resort, followed by dozens of other appealing prizes donated by Front Range businesses and casinos.
Everyone who visits Race Headquarters receives a ballot to cast for Best Dressed Fleet in the Sponsors Race. The casino fleet receiving the most votes has the honor of taking both their fleet of decorated ducks and the Best Dressed Fleet trophy home to display for the next year. The Sponsors Race begins at 2 p.m. and one of our generous casino sponsors will win the traveling First Place trophy to display for the next year. Sponsors for the 2010 race are Century Casino, Colorado Gambler, Golden Mardi Gras Casino, Isle of Capri Casino, the Riviera Black Hawk Casino and Johnny Z’s Casino.
The sponsor fees and the duck adoptions both help support the Peak to Peak Rotary’s youth projects in Gilpin County and Nederland. These projects total approximately $7,000 annually. The Peak to Peak Rotary meets every Thursday at noon in Farradday’s Restaurant in the Isle of Capri and welcomes guests.
