PORT ANGELES — Colleen Williams visited Safeway to buy broccoli and walked out with a duck ticket that won her a 2025 Toyota Corolla.
Williams’ winning duck was plucked from a truck parked on City Pier in Port Angeles during the record-breaking 36th annual Great Olympic Peninsula Duck Derby on Sunday. She won the top prize, provided by Wilder Toyota, out of 36 prizes awarded at the event sponsored by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe.
“I don’t know what I will do with the car,” Williams said. “I’m still baffled that I’m getting one.”
This year’s duck derby made the most money for the Olympic Medical Center Foundation of any in the 36-year history of the event, said Bruce Skinner, the foundation’s executive director.
Volunteers sold 29,146 ducks for a total of $131,800 after expenses.
The money will go toward the Olympic Medical Center Foundation Scholarship Fund, which serves local residents who aspire to medical careers. Most of the recipients attend Peninsula College.
By providing a full ride along with living expenses, the scholarship supports the creation of a pool of trained nursing and medical assisting personnel living in the area who are available to OMC.
Williams, who already owns a Toyota — although a larger version, a Highlander — usually participates in the Duck Derby, but she didn’t intend to buy into it this year when she walked into the Third Street Safeway last week. After she chatted a while with her friend Edna Petersen, she decided to go for it.
“I wasn’t going to buy one this year because I never win,” Williams said.
Petersen, who sold 740 ducks and has a lifetime number of 2,788 ducks, was among the top 10 sellers this year, Skinner said. The top seller overall was Sylvia Strohm, who sold 1,531 ducks. The top Sequim seller was Esther Littlejohn, whose 1,434 ducks contributed to her all-time sales number of 10,485 ducks.
Gail Ralston, who had aimed to beat the all-time record of 37,488 set by Bill Littlejohn before his death in 2019, missed her goal by 630 ducks. Ralston was selling up until the first duck pluck on Sunday. Her all-time number is 36,858 ducks after selling 1,445 ducks this year.
Graduating nursing student Kaylee Oldemeyer sold 759 for a lifetime number of 1,072.
The top-selling duo was Larry and Sylvia Strohm with 2,745 ducks, followed by the mother-daughter duo of Lindsay and Addison Fox, who sold 1,683 ducks.
Rounding out the list of top sellers were Pam Scott — who had been selling in a duck costume — with 847 ducks (2,048 lifetime); Leslie English, with 760 (13,706); Gay Lynn Iseri, 702 (19,888); and Harriet Coventon, 656 (4,093).
Top Very Important Duck sellers were Lindsay and Addison Fox, 26; Littlejohn, 23.5 and Iseri with 10.5; Darrin Liggins, 10; Ralston, 9.5, and Chuck Lockhart, Scott, Sylvia Strohm and English, all with eight.
Top-selling teams were the Quackerbackers, Wilder Ducks and the Port Angeles High School girls soccer team.
The following is the list of prize-winners in the Main Event at the 36th annual Great Olympic Peninsula Duck Derby. Winners were announced by Howard “Scooter” Chapman, longtime sports icon and retired radio personality.
Colleen Williams, Port Angeles, 2025 Toyota Corolla donated by Wilder Toyota.
Teresa Bentley, Joyce, $1,500 cash donated by 7 Cedars Casino.
Nancy DuBois, Port Angeles, $1,100 cash donated by 7 Cedars Casino.
Port Angeles Wharf, $1,050 cash donated by 7 Cedars Casino.
Katy O’Connor, no hometown listed, $350 in cash donated by 7 Cedars Casino.
Judy Garling, Port Angeles, $250 sunglasses gift certificate donated by Bec’s Specs.
Dustin Clark, Port Angeles, four cases of Bedford’s Soda valued at $250 donated by Ed Bedford.
Daniel Bresniker, Port Angeles, $250 gift certificate donated by Amazon.
Randy Hammond, Port Angeles, one-night stay donated by Red Lion Hotel.
Kimberly Davies, Port Angeles, $100 dinner for two donated by 48 Degrees North.
Taylor’s Restaurant, $100 gift certificate donated by Safeway.
David Walp of Sequim, $100 gift certificate donated by LD’s 929 Woodfire Grill.
Stephen Stetson, no hometown listed, $100 gift certificate donated by Fiesta Jalisco.
David Hanm, Sequim, $100 gift certificate for gasoline donated by First Street Chevron.
Marie Marrs, Port Angeles, $100 gift certificate donated by Swain’s General Store.
Jeramey Johnson, Port Angeles, $100 gift certificate donated by Safeway.
Julie Schumacher, Port Angeles, $100 gift certificate donated by Starbucks.
Gregory Higgins, Port Angeles, $100 gift certificate donated by Bella Italia.
Dorothy Shaw, Sequim, $100 gift certificate donated by Swain’s.
Laura Osterberg, Port Angeles, $100 gift certificate for gasoline donated by First Street Chevron.
Andrea Alstrup, Sequim, $100 gift certificate donated by The Rail.
Roxanne of The Hub, $100 gift certificate donated by Barhop.
William Cole, Port Angeles, $100 gift certificate donated by Higher Grounds.
Peninsula Dental, $100 gift certificate donated by Kindred Collective.
Melanie Nordstrom, Port Angeles, $100 gift certificate donated by Sea to Summit Charcuterie.
Jasmeen Sandhu, Port Angeles, $100 gift certificate donated by Fiddleheads.
Lynne McDonald, Port Angeles, $100 gift certificate donated by McDonald’s.
Donald Williams, Tonasket, Wash., $100 gift certificate donated by Applebee’s.
Laurel Dental Clinic of Port Angeles, $100 gift certificate donated by Amazon.
Heather Hanna, Port Angeles, $100 gift certificate donated by Chipotle Mexican Grill.
Robert Elofson, Port Angeles, $50 gift certificate donated by Starbucks.
Karla Dills, Port Angeles, $50 gift certificate donated by Home Depot.
Adam Killpack, Port Angeles, $50 gift certificate donated by Sawadee Thai Cuisine of Sequim.
Andrea Chapman, Port Angeles, $50 gift certificate donated by Next Door Gastropub.
Ed Bedford, Port Angeles, $50 gift certificate donated by Home Depot.
Mitch Gray, two nights at Lake Crescent Lodge valued at $750 donated by First Fed.
The following is a list of the Very Important Duck prize winners: $700 cash to Rinehart Consulting; $350 cash to Port Angeles Hardwood; and $175 cash to McCullem.
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Leah Leach is a former executive editor for Peninsula Daily News.
