11The family won the top prize of a new Toyota truck at the 20th annual Great Olympic Peninsula Duck Derby.
The family of five labeled themselves “J. Gilchrist” on the ticket because all of their names begin with J, Jan Gilchrist, the mother of three boys said after finding out they were the winners.
She said her husband, Jim, and their three sons, Jacob, Jeremy and Joshua, would put the truck to good use.
“There are five of us, so it won’t have a problem getting used,” she said.
Although Jan said the family has entered the derby many times, she said they never had won a prize and had only one duck in Sunday’s race of 30,447 ducks.
Trip down the canal
The ducks splashed into the Nippon Industries canal from a large dump truck and floated a couple hundred feet. The first 45 to reach the end were winners.
The Gilchrists’ duck was the first in line.
“Usually our boys go down and volunteer,” Jan said.
“This is the first year we haven’t had someone down at the site when the winners were announced.
“But we are pretty darn excited.”
In the next few days, Bruce Skinner, executive director of the Olympic Medical Center Foundation, said he would contact the family and talk to them about how to claim their pickup, which was donated by Wilder Toyota.
Skinner said this year was the fifth best for the derby — but about 6,000 fewer ducks than last year’s race.
“At this kind of time in the economy, we are thrilled with how many were sold,” Skinner said.
The Duck Derby benefits the OMC Foundation and the Sequim Rotary Club.
Very Important Duck
The Very Important Duck winner was First Security Bank, which was awarded $1,000.
The event, on a low-wind, sunny day made for a picture-perfect occasion to take children out to the Kids Pavilion, said Kathy McNulty, who took her 6 ½-year-old, Aiden, to the event.
“We always enter the derby, but this is the first year we have come out here,” she said, as she watched her son and some of his friends jump in the castle-shaped bounce house.
“They have all sorts of stuff for kids — how can you not love that?
“We’ll get ourselves some cotton candy, watch the race and go home.”
Several hundred people gathered to watch the event, with friends, kids and dogs in tow.
Inside the pavilion, kids could color ducklings, do crafts and play put-put golf.
Tanja and Jim Lawson of Sequim took their 5 ½-year-old, Tyler, to try out the events.
Newcomers to the North Olympic Peninsula, the couple said the event was the perfect family outing for a Sunday afternoon.
“This is the first year we’ve lived here for this,” Jim said.
“We thought it would be fun.”
Students and staff from Port Angeles High School were helping to run the children’s events, said Lora Brabant, the adviser for Distributive Education Clubs of America at the high school.
“This was really just so much fun,” she said.
“We have a few new things this year with a new craft and also we have a lollipop tree.”
She said seven people, including her, from the high school club were volunteering.
“I love doing this,” she said.
“And it is so good for the kids, too.
“They get the chance to do some community service and have a good time at the same time.”
For more information, phone 360-417-7144.
“We will contact them in the next couple days, but they are welcome to call us as well,” Skinner said.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
