RELEASE THE QUACKEN

Rival high schools’ alumni associations raise thousands with annual toy race

Despite yet another Riverside football triumph over Harvey, the day after delivered the usual, at least for the last 17 years, unified fundraising event where fellowship and helping students is the big winner.

And this year, according to Ron Balogh, president of the Harvey Alumni Association, was the biggest for the Jane Ann (Jenkins) Zinn Grand Riv-Har Duck Race, the collaborative event held every year the day after the archrival schools do battle on the gridiron, regardless of the score.

“It really is amazing that two schools’ alumni associations can come together for a common goal that’s overwhelmingly positive,” Balogh said after the race. “And it’s a great selling point — since both districts are involved, we receive participants from each side.”

The race, run on a portion of Big Creek behind Helen Hazen Wyman Park in Concord Township, has raised over $90,000 in past years. Funds from the event are split evenly between the two alumni associations and are used for scholarships and other programming.

Participants in the race can purchase a single duck for $5 or spend $20 for a “five-quack” entry. Members of the community and both associations on race day release the rubber toys on a 100yard portion of the creek.

Naturally, the ticket holder whose number-imprinted fowl crosses the

“It really is amazing that two schools’ alumni associations can come together for a common goal that’s overwhelmingly positive.”

— Ron Balogh, president of the Harvey Alumni Association

the finish line first takes the grand prize of $500.

Additional prizes are also awarded to frontrunning ducks, including rounds of golf, car washes and Spats Cafe gift certificates.

Balogh said this ticket sales and sponsorships from this year’s race netted a sum of just under $14,000, subtracting the grand prize total.

“Everything is donated,” he added. “It’s been really active, too. We received about $9,275 from over 30 sponsors this year, another high mark for us. We have no overhead, except the grand prize award. This year, both Harvey and Riverside are taking $6,811.25.”

Also taking this year is Painesville resident Eural Wilson, the Duck Race’s grand prize winner. Wilson is a 1950 Harvey graduate who played football with Don Shula in high school.

Wilson purchased his ticket the day of the game, Sept. 7, after Balogh reminded him he’d taught his children in band back in the day.

“We hadn’t seen each other in ages,” Balogh said. “It was nice to deliver him the check (today).”

This year’s race was typically slower than past years due to the relatively still waters, but the excitement of the event still matched that of other races.

“Normally, if the creek is up, the ducks move much faster,” said Concord Township Trustee Connie Luhta, a 1948 grad of Harvey. “Still, it’s always a lot of fun, that’s why I come out to it every year.”

CHAD FELTON — THE NEWS-HERALD Grand Riv-Har Duck Race organizers and volunteers collect the number-imprinted entries on Sept. 8 at Big Creek in Concord Township’s Helen Hazen Wyman Park. The fundraising event, sponsored by the Riverside and Harvey Alumni Associations, is in its 17th year and has raised over $90,000 in past years.

CHAD FELTON — THE NEWS-HERALD Riverside Alumni Association members guide ducks downstream on Sept. 8 during the Grand Riv-Har Duck Race. The event raised about $14,000 this year.