||| FROM MICHAEL ARMENIA for FRIENDS OF ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY |||
At the upcoming Library Fair on August 12, the Friends of the Orcas Island Library (FOIL) is hosting a rubber duck race event as a benefit for the Ken Gibbs Memorial Fund for Youth Science Education. For three hours from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. during the Library Fair, fair goers can take part in 12 races (approximately one every 15 minutes) where rubber ducks wind their ways through a complex of water raceways to the finish line, resulting in prizes for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place ducks of each race. Non-winning racers will each receive a ‘Lucky Duck’, a consolation miniature rubber duck for future luck!
Each person can enter up to three ducks in each race at a cost of either $1, $5, or $10 per duck, with a maximum of 24 ducks in each race. Actual prize values will vary accordingly with the entry cost for the winning ducks which will be indicated by the color of the duck. The proceeds from duck entries all go to the Ken Gibbs Memorial Fund for Youth Science Education.
FOIL is seeking donors, either private persons or local businesses, that could furnish merchandise or gift cards in various amounts. There are 12 prizes for each place. Approximate values of suggested donations might be as follows:
Alternatively, if a local business would like to be a sponsor rather than a prize donor, business names will be advertised on stickers placed on the ducks that are in the racing event. The cost for this sponsorship and advertisement will be $25 per duck. Prospective donors and sponsors can contact Michael Armenia, FOIL Secretary, at michael.armenia@friendsoforcaslibrary.org or Lynnette Wood at lnmiwood@gmail.com.
Ken Gibbs was a past President of FOIL and a dedicated volunteer at the Orcas Island Public Library (OIPL). He passed away in 2022. Because Ken was passionate about science and youth education, a fund was set up by OIPL through the Orcas Island Community Foundation (OICF). In fundraising now, we hope to achieve a level of investment that will ensure science-related programming of a considerable merit to OIPL every year in perpetuity.
To read more about the fund, please see this article. Donate directly to this fund.
A website for this duck race event is being developed to keep the community aware of future race events for this fund, its history, and more about Ken and rubber duckies! Please see: http://www.qwackwace.org/.
The Friends of the Orcas Island Library Association is an all volunteer, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
So, this is what we’ve become? Who would have known?