Duck Dash Accolades

I want to acknowledge and thank those Rotarians who made the Duck Dash possible.  We had a gorgeous sunny day for the parade and race.  This was the setting for a near perfect race. 

First I want to thank our sponsors Evergreen HealthCare, Lee Johnson Auto Family, Conover Insurance, RBC Wealth Management, Ace Frames, Banner Bank, Residence XII, Visiting Angels, Highland Capital Brokerage, Money Tree, and Senior Financial Advisors.  Their support will cover most if not all our expenses.

I have so much respect for the committee chairs who have modified and adapted this event over the years to bring us a well oiled machine.

In no particular order, since one committee is as important as the next, I want to thank Steve Shinstrom for heading up the parade and all related activities. Related activities mean we use some space in his building to store all of our race paraphernalia. We used his row boat to race the ducks. Then, he drives Mama Duck in the parade in his weird trailer with a personally supplied power generator that keeps Mama Duck nice and plump.  His wife Patty wears the small duck costume and son Alex wears the large duck costume and they walk in the parade.  It’s really amusing to see what a somewhat reserved person will do to entertain parade watchers when she thinks no one knows who is inside that costume!   

Also thanks to those that walked or drove in the parade: Brian Tucker who rode the donated bicycle he procured,  Barb Hagstrom, her husband and two Chihuahuas for walking in the parade and Al Hoviland who drove his pretty red convertible with a huge Rotary logo on the side; Brandon & Becca Honcoop and John and Janet Pruitt.

Then there’s Bob Webb and the race course set up and take down crew.  Bob had a lot of running around to do.  He had to pick up the oil booms in Seattle in a pick up he borrowed from Brad Green; he picked up Al Hoviland’s row boat and then returned everything the next day.  Al Hoviland designed and help set up the race course that was really the best design and efficient course yet.  Helping with the set up, the actual race and the take down was Jerry Campo, Doug Carter, Bob Auslander, Brian Tucker, Dave Tucker, Mekonen Giorgis, Steve Shinstrom and Brandon Honcoop.  Thank you guys.

We have the booth set up team: Dan Bartel, Rick Ostrander, Mike and Sharon Hunter and Alice Volpe.  Mike and Sharon have set up in Marina Park so many times they can do it in their sleep and always provide refreshments for the sellers. 

You should volunteer to sell adoptions with Alice in the booth on Central Way.  She set up the Hilton of booths:  padded floors, the ultimate in decorations and front row reserved seats for the parade.  Pat Dye will probably agree it was a pretty plush sales venue.   Thank you Alice, Dan, Mike, and Sharon and Rick.

The accounting team led by Tom Sturgell is so efficient we had race results within 30 minutes after the race.  His wife Sue and he work so well together.  Barb Seaton is organized and more importantly, calm.  Joanne Primavera inputs all of our sales data into the computer and routinely bugs us to get our adoptions to her.  Then there’s rookie Rick Walters, who is in training on the accounting team. Thank you all.

There are the extremely necessary sales people who work the booths and the crowds.  A big thanks to Dan Bartel and Patty Sims who actually met their $500 quota that day.  Thanks to Mike and Sharon Hunter, John and Janet Pruitt, Brandon and Becca Honcoop, Sue Greenfeld, Chris Rusnak, Pat Dye and Alice Volpe for selling. After setting up the course, Bob Webb went up to sell adoptions along the parade route.  Mekonen Giorgis had stellar sales and kept asking for more jobs to do. 

Those of you who sold adoptions at other venues and to clients and friends before race day:  Well done!  Our top sellers this year are Brad Green, Ernie Norehad and Bill Woods.

A Special thank you to Brad Green and Conover Insurance.  Not only does Brad help sponsor the race, he always sells beaucoup adoptions and lends us boats and trucks.

While all the committees are equally important there is one guy that stands out and deserves recognition and thank yous from every member of the club.  I am just sorry that he is not here to hear this but...Rick Ostrander is irreplaceable. He not only works hard physically by setting up the venues each week and on race day, he listens to every idea I have and everyone else’s for that matter. He is eager to help solve problems.  There has been a long line of Rotarians coming into his office seeking advice on various parts of our fund raiser.  So really, Rick has been our Co Chair for the race this year. Please be sure to thank him when he gets back from Utah.

Patti Smith