Duck Races
return to Ottumwa
in September
By Tracy Goldizen
OTTUMWA — Ducks are a
common and beloved site in
and around Ottumwa Park
and its lagoons. For a day in
September, they’ll be taking
over the Des Moines River as
well.
The rubber kind, that is.
The Ottumwa Duck Races
return Sept. 19 after about a
20-year hiatus.
Shea Greiner, vice president
of engagement and organizational
advancement at Greater
Ottumwa Partners in Progress,
said the idea came from
Beth Peyton, former president
of the Ottumwa Area Chamber
of Commerce, which has
since merged with GOPiP.
“She was adamant about
looking into bringing them
back,” said Greiner. She said
it was very easy and feasible
to do so, and they moved
forward with the project.
“Everything just came along.
Everybody thought it was
time to bring it back.”
“They dump them off the
Market Street Bridge and
float down the river to get
caught,” she said. “There’s
actually a duck neck. They
create a canal with pool noodles
directing them to a trap.”
The first duck in will win its
owner $2,500 with second
place winning $1,000. Then
there’s the “dead duck,” a
$500 prize for the last duck to
cross the line.
“Even if you’re not the first
one it, you could sill win
something,” said Greiner.
The event has a history of
being a great fundraiser.
Greiner said organizers found
a 1998 Courier article stating
that $87,000 was raised from
the event.
Organizers have a more
modest goal for the resurrection
of the event. GOPiP is
partnering with Whatsoever
You Do, and Greiner said $1
of every duck adopted will
go to the organization with
a goal of adopting out 5,000
ducks.
“We can sell more, but that’s
our goal. We just want to
make sure we get it right this
year and we can build up in
future races,” Greiner said.
She said GOPiP asked for
ideas on nonprofit suggestions
on Facebook. A lot of
good suggestions came back,
but “Whatsoever You Do was
by far the most-suggested
nonprofit,” she said.
GOPiP made the announcement
of the Duck Races’
return at February’s Home
& Garden Show. “Everyone
seems pretty excited,” Greiner
said. “Everyone who came
by was just ecstatic. They enjoyed
it so much in the past,
it was more of a reminiscent
thing. I heard it was a huge
deal.”
Duck Races photos from 1993-1994. Ottumwa Courer file photos
We Are Ottumwa
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