A fundraiser for East Hills
Selling Ducks for the annual Ducks for Bucks Benefit Fundraiser held by the Fremont Kiwanis Club every year is our main club fundraiser, and how we have enough money to pay for room rentals at Creekside and the library, hold member events, and more. Almost all of our dues go to pay state and county 4-H fees, so to keep fees down for members and adult volunteers, we really depend on our members to sell Ducks for us! We raised around 2000$ dollars last year which is roughly 450 Ducks sold; if we all work together, we can get close to that number again. And remember, you can earn 2$/every Duck sold to use for 4-H camp or other 4-H events.
What is a Duck?
In short, one pays 5$ for 1 Duck to be entered into the Duck Race that happens in Fremont at Lake Elizabeth on April 29th (open to the public). In addition to the Grand Prize, there are many smaller prizes which are listed on the customer part of the Ducks form.
Our club earns 3$ for the first 250 Ducks sold, then 4$ for any Ducks above that number. Because we team up with Bayside 4-H, we get to 250 much faster, so this really is a terrific fundraiser for us.
The Process of Selling Ducks
What do you need? How do you get started?
- Get some blank Duck forms from your club leader or Duck coordinator.
- Read up on the prizes, how to fill out the form (see below), and how the race works so you can answer questions.
- Sell Ducks to your friends, family members, neighbors, and participate in any selling opportunities your club might provide.
- Make sure the information is filled out and the envelope has the cash/check/credit card information and return to your club by April 23rd.
East Hills 4-H has been selling Ducks in San Leandro since 2003 (when we started the club), so many residents are very familiar with Ducks for Bucks and they will sell themselves. We will be setting up a table at the MacArthur Starbucks in San Leandro on April 7th and April 15th, please see our Meetup page for more details.
How the race works:
Every year for the last 23 years, thousands of rubber ducks have been released into Lake Elizabeth for the annual Ducks for Bucks Race benefit. A dump-truck releases the ducks (8000 last year) into the lake, and using their high-powered fire hoses, the Fremont Fire Department will slowly herd the ducks into the chute passage where the numbers are read electronically and in the order entered.
For the rest of the details as to how winners are selected found here: http://ducks4bucks.org/index.php
Winners need not be present to win. Several years ago our first place winner lived in New Jersey and we simply mailed her the check. Each winner will be contacted by phone after the race. If unable to reach by phone, they will be contacted via email as well.
The part with the large Duck picture and the information about the race and prizes is given to the customer. It is a good idea for them to save it in case they win, but if they lose the form, they will still be able to pick up any prizes they might win.
How to sell Ducks with the forms
The part of the form with the envelope and the little flap is the part you keep and hand into your club. the information about the race is given to the customer.
Filling out the envelope with the correct information
6 Ducks for the price of 5
The Ducks for Bucks fundraiser not only raises money for the club, it also raise money for 4-H activities for our members!
How it works:
The first ten ducks sold by a member will be credited towards the club. Thereafter, the member will receive $2/duck as credit toward 4-H related activities. For members of a family selling ducks collectively, ten ducks for the family will be credited to the club. The remaining ducks will be credited to the family for 4-H activity fees at $2/duck. So, if you and a sibling sell 100 Ducks, your family will have 180 dollars to use for 4-H Summer Camp, conferences, or anything else you attend that is 4-H related.