Ducky Derby boosts Dakota High school’s choirs
New fundraiser helps choirs earn money for travel
Everything’s ducky for Dakota High School’s choirs this December, as the groups embark on the new fundraiser of a Ducky Derby Raffle.
This is the first year a Ducky Derby Raffle has been held to benefit the Macomb Township school’s choirs, according to Choir Director Tyler Dargis.
“The parent volunteer fundraising chairperson, Melissa Carlson, was researching new ideas to fundraise this year,” Dargis said. “The Dakota High School bands hold a very successful Win the Band raffle each year, where the full Dakota marching band performs at the winner’s location of choice following their performance in the Detroit Thanksgiving Day Parade. Inspired by the band, Melissa started brainstorming for a way that the Dakota choirs could hold a raffle.”
Dargis said Carlson saw a Facebook post about a duck race, and decided to pursue this as a potential fundraising idea for the choir. She researched the State of Michigan duck race rules and regulations, then presented the information to Dargis. The result will be the Ducky Derby Raffle, scheduled for Dec. 9 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Dakota High School’s pool. Dakota is located at 21051 21 Mile Road in Macomb Township.
“Participants ‘adopt’ a rubber duck by purchasing a raffle ticket numbered to correspond to a rubber duck,” Dargis said. “The ducks, all of equal size/ shape/weight, are dropped into the pool and the first four ducks to cross the finish line win a prize.”
Raffle prizes will be awarded for first, second, third and fourth place. First place prize will be $300, second place prize $200, third place prize $100 and fourth place prize $50. Ticket purchasers need not be present to win.
Tickets for the raffle are $10 each. They can be purchased by contacting a member of the Dakota choirs or sending an email to dakota.choirs@ gmail.com. Purchasers should include their name and phone number, so that a member of the fundraising team my respond to complete the sale. Ticket sales will close on Dec. 7.
“For those attending, the
primary focus of the funds will be to directly support the travel of Dakota choirs to New York City in spring of 2024,” Dargis said. “Any student that raises funds that will not be attending the trip will have their funds utilized towards the Dakota Choirs General Fund, which supports the purchase of sheet music, props, costumes, set pieces, as well as the hiring of professional choreographers and clinicians that come in to work with students throughout the school year.”
Dakota High School has five choirs total. During the school day, students can participate in Treble Chorus, Men’s Chorus, Women’s Varsity Choir and Mixed Varsity Choir. Dargis said that after school, students can participate in Dakota Show Choir. This year 40 students are participating in Show Choir, 47 in Treble Choir, 25 in Women’s Varsity Choir, 28 in Mixed Varsity Choir and 20 in Men’s Choir.