And yes, if you want to name your duck and cheer for your duck, you can do that, too, at the event, but it might be hard to tell which one is Howard or Donald or Daffy. (We love a good pun that’s in good fun.) Through the years, Foley said she’s been amazed at the generosity of the community and the dedication of volunteers who make the event happen. It takes a flock of volunteers to do the little things like run the ducks through the car wash in the bed of a truck after the race or organize the ducks to be dropped into the lake. Yes, the ducks have to be washed before being packed and sent to the next fundraiser. “And I think for the 10th year that maybe our theme is that we want to thank people that found their place when it (the race) was small, strange, and quirky,” Foley said. One of those people is Kayla Myers, director of community engagement at Merryman House, who first heard about the duck race when she moved to Paducah after graduating from Murray State. Myers and some co- workers split a “quack pack” or six ducks for $25. Her co- workers had decided that they would split the prize money, but their ducks didn’t win. “And I think that’s so many people’s story, and so that’s been cool to see year over year,” Myers said. Myers introduced the idea of Quacky, a duck mascot costume, which has become a hit. She said sponsors have requested appearances by Quacky, and the duck appears on local television and at media events. You could say that Quacky quacks people up. To go along with Quacky, Merryman House now offers duck- themed merchandise including hats, lanyards, duck calls, towels, shirts, and new this year, golf club covers. “We do get all that licensed through our partner (GAME) but it’s also reasonably priced,” Myers said. “I think that’s a huge part, too, because at the race you see people in duck hats and they’ve got this little tuft of yellow fluff in the back. They’ve got all their grandkids ducked out, too.” Between the merchandise, the sponsorships and the ducks, this event has raised more than $100,000 in recent years and has become a beloved community tradition. “I think folks need to understand that organizations like the Merryman House that are primarily funded through state and federal grants and private foundations come with restrictions, and rightfully so,” Foley said. “They’re giving you money. They can put on restrictions, but there are so many pieces of this issue (domestic 42 SEPTEMBER 2024 | INTHEVUE.COM violence) that are not going to meet the criteria for this or that. But there’s a need, right?” “Maybe it’s tires for a vehicle, or it’s pet food for a pet that’s leaving and fleeing with a survivor, or maybe it’s something that we didn’t even think to ask a grant funder for. This kind of money helps those things. It helps general operations. It helps to staff a 24-hour facility.” Merryman House has a person manning a hotline 24/7/365 to respond to crises, Foley said. The center also provides help for domestic violence victims with food and housing insecurities, among other services. Approximately 40 people, including children, are currently in their emergency shelter. “I think sometimes people have in their mind what Merryman House does, and it’s so much more than that,” Foley said. “And it intersects with so many aspects of our community. The issue itself intersects with so many things that the duck race is really that lifeline that helps to continue what we do, day in and day out.” For more information about the race, visit https://www. duckrace.com/paducah. The PaDucky Derby will be at 3 p.m., Saturday, October 26, at Montgomery Lake in Noble Park. Duck sales will continue through 2 p.m., Saturday, October 26. You may buy a single duck for $5, a six-pack Quack Pack for $25 or a Flock of Ducks (12) for $50. You can purchase ducks now at www.duckrace.com/paducah. Prizes this year are $1,000 for third, $2,000 for second, and $5,000 for first.
