The first annual Ducky Derby of Aspen was held on August 15, 1992. Since its inception 36 years ago (as of the year 2008), the Aspen Rotary Club
has dedicated most of its fundraising efforts to benefit the youth of our valley. This festive Ducky Derby event is a return to a great American and Aspen tradition - a
community picnic in the park with live music and food for all palates featuring youth group booths with activities for kids of all ages. AND A RUBBER DUCKY RACE OF
30,000+ DUCKS RACING DOWN THE ROARING FORK RIVER!! The Ducky Derby takes place at Aspen's Rio Grande Park every year on the 2nd Saturday in August.
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1992
The Aspen Rotary Club's Ducky Derby was founded by the club's 1992-93 president, Jack Brendlinger. The co-Head Ducks were Skip Behrhorst and Jack Reese.
The Aspen Rotary Club's first Ducky Derby gave $69,676 to local youth organizations. Attendance was estimated at 2,000 people at the festival and race. 17,300 ducks were adopted and raced down the Roaring Fork River. Over 25 prizes were presented after the race. The Grand Prize, a 1992 Jeep Wrangler, was won by Grant Cohen of Snowmass Village, Colorado.
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1993
The Aspen Rotary Club's second Ducky Derby, led by Head Duck, Bob George, distributed $82,065 to local youth organizations. The festival part of the event was expanded and an estimated 3,500 persons attended the festival to celebrate a day of family fun that included 15 youth "carnival type" booths, live bands, barbecue, beer, and soft drinks. 21,697 ducks were adopted and raced. After the race over 35 prizes were awarded. The Grand Prize, a 1993 Jeep Wrangler, was won by Tim Ditzler of London, England. A few years later Tim became a member of the Aspen Rotary Club. Tim also became the Ducky Derby Head Duck in 2004.
15 youth groups benefited from the event plus numerous valley children and adults who received gifts and free services from the Christmas Wish Program and three high school seniors who received $10,700 in Aspen Rotary Club scholarships. |
1994
The Aspen Rotary Club's third Ducky Derby, led by Head Duck, Don Wrigley, with Alpine Bank as the Title Sponsor, distributed $96,381 to 36 youth and human service organizations. 22,069 ducks were adopted and raced. Over 50 prizes were awarded to happy persons after the race. The Grand Prize, a 1994 Geo Tracker, was won by Marshal Weir of Oklahoma City, OK who adopted 4 ducks from Aspen Rotarian Gordon Denton.
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1995
The Aspen Rotary Club's fourth Ducky Derby, led by Head Duck, Jeanette Darnaure, with Alpine Bank as the Title Sponsor broke all previous records by selling out of duck adoptions the night before the race. 24,313 ducks were adopted and raced. $108,170 was distributed to 59 youth and human service organizations. A new 5K foot race, "The Ducky Waddle", was added this year as the first event of the Festival in the Park. 44 great prizes were won by lucky duck adopters. The Grand Prize, a 1995 Mazda Mx-3 Sports Coupe, was won by Charlotte Bowlby of Snowmass Village, Colorado. |
1996
The Aspen Rotary Club's fifth Ducky Derby, led by c0-Head Ducks, Shirley Carnel & Doug Carlson, with Alpine Bank as the Title Sponsor, which featured the possibility of winning ONE MILLION DOLLARS, again broke all previous records selling 29,573 duck adoptions. The 22 cash sponsors totally underwrote the entire event by contributing $56,250. After deducting the expenses the net income earned and distributed to the youth and human service organizations was $123,220. 59 groups benefited from the 1996 Ducky Derby. Over 50 donated prizes were awarded after the race. The Grand Prize, a 1996 Jetta Trek, including a mountain bike and roof rack, was won by Sharon Bullar of Houston, Texas, purchased the winning duck from Katie Turner of the Aspen Valley Ski Club. (See Sharon's story on the "Why?" page of the website.) |
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1997
The Aspen Rotary Club's sixth Ducky Derby, led by Head Duck, Shirley Carnel, with Alpine Bank as the Title Sponsor distributed $109,820 to youth and human service organizations. 23,631 ducks were adopted and raced. 51 great prizes were awarded after the race. The Grand Prize, a 1997 Jeep Wrangler SE, was won by Leigh Ethridge of Woody Creek, Colorado. His winning duck benefited the Aspen Chapel Youth Group. |
1998
The Aspen Rotary Club's seventh Ducky Derby, led by Head Duck, Andy Modell & Molly Beattie, with City Market as the Title Sponsor, was the second best year for the event distributing $122,690 to youth and human service organizations. A new partnership was formed with the Carbondale, Glenwood Springs and Rifle Rotary Clubs participating in the event. 26,640 ducks were adopted and raced.
The music at the Festival was by Treehouse and Heart of the Rockies. 30 prizes were awarded after the race. The Grand Prize, a 1998 Ford Mustang, was won by Robin Wiper of Eugene, Oregon.
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1999
The Aspen Rotary Club's eighth Ducky Derby, led by Head Duck, John Keleher with assistance from Linda Keleher, with US Bank as the Title Sponsor, broke all records again by selling 29,537 duck adoptions and distributing over $135,000 to over 45 youth, scholarships and human service organizations! 49 prizes were awarded to the winners after the race. The Grand Prize, a stunning 2000 yellow Volkswagen Beetle, was won by Vickie Gilmore of Carbondale, CO. Vickie adopted her winning duck from Bobby Bair to support the Aspen Country Day School.
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2000
The Aspen Rotary Club's ninth Ducky Derby, led by Head Duck, John Sarpa, co-sponsored by US Bank, broke all records and put our kids up front! Thanks to our GREAT sponsor's cash donations, the Festival 2000 was totally underwritten which meant that every $5.00 duck adoption was returned to the beneficiaries! $137,160 was raised to help fund 28 youth groups. After the race 85 prizes were awarded. The Grand Prize yellow and black 2000 Jeep Wrangler SE was won by Loretta Causa of Mendota, Illinois who adopted 5 ducks on an adoption paper sold by Aspen Rotarian, Craig Ward. Thanks to everyone who participated, all 30,367 ducks were adopted 24 hours before the race began! |
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2001
The 10th Aspen Rotary Club's Ducky Derby Festival 2001, led by Head Duck, Mark Pearson, co-sponsored by US Bank, raised $155,181, of which $133,675 came from 26,735 duck adoptions. 29 youth organizations received funding from Aspen's largest annual fund raising event. Duck adopters received 91 prizes after the exciting duck race. The Grand Prize winner of the 2001 Jeep Wrangler SE was Karin Grance of Carbondale, Colorado, who chose a custom license plate that reads "MYDUCK1"! Karin adopted 5 ducks from Demetra Layne that raised $25.00 for the Aspen Junior Golf program.
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2002
The 11th annual Ducky Derby Festival 2002, led by Head Duck, Chuck Guinn, broke all previous records. With US Bank as the Title Sponsor, $141,150 was raised by the 28,230 duck adoptions from 9,630 adoption papers that meant the average ducks adopted per adoption paper was 2.9 ducks. 62 prizes were won with the Grand Prize of the 2002 Jeep Wrangler SE being won by Bill Roberts of Carbondale, CO who adopted 20 ducks to benefit the Green Acres 4-H youth organization. |
Congratulations to Bill Roberts of Carbondale, Colorado who won the 2002 Jeep Wrangler!
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Congratulations to Joe Willey of Houston, Texas who won the $15,000 Grand Prize!
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2003
The 12th annual Ducky Derby Festival 2003, led by Head Duck, Chuck Guinn, raised over $121,885 from 24,377 duck adoptions, bringing the total that the Ducky Derby has raised to $1.3 million!! With US Bank as the Title Sponsor for 5 straight years, 41 prizes were won by persons from eleven different states. The cash Grand Prize of $15,000 was won by Joe Willey of Houston, Texas.
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2004
Over 27,000 yellow rubber duckies raced down the Roaring Fork River at the 13th Annual Ducky Derby hosted by the Aspen Rotary Club and Alpine Bank. The event was all it was quacked up to be for 1st Place $15,000 winner Rodney Jacobs. The proceeds from the "Lucky Ducky Derby" were distributed by the Aspen Rotary Club to youth and humanitarian causes. To the right Jacobs is shown holding his $15,000 check with his arms around Garrett and Chase Park. One of the boys sold Jacobs his winning duck adoption. Tim Ditzler, who was the Grand Prize winner in 1993 and later joined the Aspen Rotary Club, was the Head Duck. Between 1992 and 2004 331,786 rubber ducks have raised over $1.5 million for our valley's youth and local and international humanitarian causes. |
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2005
The 14th annual Ducky Derby in Aspen, with Morris & Fyrwald Real Estate as the Title Sponsor, was another great year for the youth and human service organizations of our valley and beyond including the Aspen Rotary Club's international projects. With 28,205 rubber duckies racing down Aspen's Roaring Fork River a new net proceeds record of $1,637,000 was raised. The 5 highest youth organizations were 1) Aspen Skating Club, 2) Sister Cities, 3) Aspen Junior Hockey, 4) Aspen Junior Golf, 5) Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club. The 5 highest Aspen Rotarians were 1) Roger Moyer, 2) Sybrina Stevenson, 3) Bennett Bramson, 4) Don Voltmer, 5) Kurt Adam. Tim Ditzler, was the Head Duck for the second year in a row! Congratulations, Tim, for setting the all-time highest total dollars raised in the first 14 years of the event. Thanks, Tim, for making 2005's Ducky Derby our BEST YEAR YET! The first place duck was adopted by John Wu of Naperville, IL who was very happy to receive a $15,000 check from the Rotary Club of Aspen. |
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2006
The 15th annual Ducky Derby in Aspen, with Morris & Fyrwald Real Estate as the Title Sponsor, was another very successful fund raising year for the youth and human service organizations of our valley and beyond. 27,475 rubber duckies raced down Aspen's Roaring Fork River with a duck that was adopted by Judy Kohl of Basalt, CO, finishing in first place, winning $15,000 from the Rotary Club of Aspen. Tim Ditzler, was the Head Duck for the third year in a row!
Youngsters like these three boys are what the Aspen Ducky Derby is all about. The Rotary Club of Aspen thanks all those who helped and all those who adopted some ducks for helping to raise our annual record of $163,973!!
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2008 |
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Aspen's Ducky Derby Summary
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YEAR
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DUCK ADOPTION DOLLARS
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DUCKS ADOPTED
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DUCK ADOPTION PAPERS
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GRAND PRIZE WINNER
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1992
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$69,676
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17,300
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Grant Cohen
Snowmass Vlg, CO
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1993
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$82,065
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21,697
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7,438
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Tim Ditzler
London, England |
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1994
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$96,381
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22,069
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Marshal Weir
Oklahoma City, OK |
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1995
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$108,170
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24,313
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8,970
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Charlotte Bowlby
Snowmass Vlg, CO |
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1996
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$123,220
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29,573
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9,985
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Sharon Bullar
Houston, TX |
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1997
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$109,820
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23,631
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8,497
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Leigh Ethridge
Woody Creek, CO |
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1998
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$122,690
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26,640
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8,660
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Robin Wiper
Eugene, OR |
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1999
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$135,010
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29,537
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8,840
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Vickie Gilmore
Carbondale, CO |
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2000
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$137,160
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30,367
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8,137
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Lorettta Causa
Mendota, IL |
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2001
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$133,675
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26,735
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8,354
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Karin Grance
Carbondale, CO |
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2002
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$141,150
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28,230
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9,630
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Bill Roberts
Carbondale, CO |
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2003
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$121,885
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24,377
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8,826
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Joe Willey
Houston, TX |
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2004
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$136,650
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27,330
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8,931
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Rodney Jacobs
Aspen, CO
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2005
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$163,700
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28,205
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John Wu
Naperville, IL
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2006
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$163,793
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27,475
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8,734
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2007
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$125,580
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25,116
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6,838 |
Peter Dodaro
Aspen, CO
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2008
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$129,622
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23,482
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5,145 |
Jason Hodges
Aspen,CO
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2009
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$153,443.50
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25616
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5,948 |
The Cheo's
Woody Creek, CO
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