Lucky ducks
‘Adopters’ and nonprofits win as beneficiaries of the Marion Rotary Duck Derby.
A firefighter with Ocala Fire Rescue gets hundreds of floating rubber ducks moving across Lake Tuscawilla by spraying them with high pressure water from a fire hose during the Marion Rotary Duck Derby at Tuscawilla Park in Ocala, Fla. on Saturday, March 21, 2026. The seventh annual Duck Derby raised money for the Discovery Center and other Rotary not-for-profits. Anyone could adopt a rubber duck for $5, or adopt five and get one for free. The ducks were numbered with the adopters name and the first 10 ducks to cross the finish line earned cash prizes. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2026.
What do you get when more than 5,000 “adopted” and tagged yellow rubber ducks spill into the waters of Lake Tuscawilla in hopes of crossing the finish line first?
A win for seven lucky adopters as well as the city of Ocala’s Discovery Center, which is a place for kids to learn in a fun, hands-on way, and other local charities supported by Rotary International clubs in Marion County.
The seventh annual Marion Rotary Duck Derby at Tuscawilla Park in Ocala on March 21 saw 5,036 ducks adopted, according to the derby website. Anyone could adopt a rubber duck for $5 or adopt five and get one for free. The ducks were randomly numbered by computer with the adopter’s name and the first few ducks that crossed the finish line earned cash prizes.
The site noted that the prizes were: First place, $2,000; second place, $1,500; third place, $750; fourth place, $400; and three drawings of $250 each.
According to Kay Kelly via email message, the winners were:
- First Place, Anays Romero
- Second place, Steve Rudnianyn
- Third place, Karl Vonrodenstein
- Fourth place, Phylis Cauthen
- Fifth place, Deborah Pollock
- Sixth place, Barbara Fife
- Seventh place, Phylis Cauthen
The annual derby included vendors, food and beverages, music, games and a kids’ zone.
“It sure was a pretty day and it’s a privilege for our Rotary club to help our community,” said club member Tim Dean via email.
The Rotary International website notes that “Rotary is a global network of more than 1.2 million neighbors, friends, leaders and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change — across the globe, in our communities and in ourselves.”
To learn more, go to duckrace.com/Ocala and rotary.org
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