PORT ANGELES — Werner Beier’s luck came through for him at last.
The Port Angeles man won the grand prize — a brand new Toyota Tundra pickup truck provided by Wilder Toyota — at the 19th annual Duck Derby on Sunday, though he said he usually never wins anything.
Beier was having dinner when the phone rang.
“I told my wife, Nancy, not to answer it because I didn’t recognize the number,” Beier said.
“But I sure am glad she did now.”
Beier said he wasn’t sure what he’d do with his prize.
“I’m too stunned to even think about what comes next,” he said.
“But I can tell you this, I will sure enjoy it.
“I never win anything.”
One of Beier’s rubber ducks was the first one to make it to the finish line in the race that lasted about 10 minutes.
A dump truck poured all of the ducks into the water and a crowd of more than 200 waited as the ducks floated toward the finish line.
There were 43 additional prizes, including cash prizes sponsored by the 7 Cedars Casino and gift certificates worth up to $500.
A record number of ducks made a splash at the Nippon Paper Industries canal during the event.
A total of 36,660 ducks were sold to top last year’s record of 35,567 ducks.
The event was later in the day than past years.
“We looked through three different tide books to decide,” organizer Bruce Skinner said.
“At first it wasn’t moving too much but then it started to pick up.”
Preceding the main event was the VID — Very Important Duck — race which had North Olympic Peninsula business logos on the larger ducks.
Fun and games for the whole family were set up at the venue.
During the VID race the wind hadn’t quite picked up enough to carry the ducks far — or at all for that matter.
Port Angeles Fire Department firefighters helped the ducks along by spraying a high-powered hose and pushing them toward the finish line.
Proceeds will go to Olympic Medical Center foundation to purchase medical equipment for the medical center and for Sequim Rotary Club’s charitable projects.
The total amount of money brought in for the causes hadn’t been totaled yet.
Beier said he has been entering for as long as he remembers the derby going on, but hadn’t expected to win.
“I enter because I think it is a good cause,” he said.
