AUSTIN, TEXAS (June 14, 2018) — The heat is on, which means the 5th Annual Austin Duck Derby is on deck and ready to make a splash in the capital city. Hosted by The Austin Boys & Girls Club Foundation and presented by Austin Sonic Drive-Ins, the Austin Duck Derby will be held Saturday, August 4 on the water and on the grassy area nestled between the parking lot of the Austin American-Statesman and Lady Bird Lake. The event, which is held annually in support of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area, is free and open to the public.
The Austin Boys & Girls Club Foundation invites the community to join the day’s Duck Fest activities from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., which will include tasty food for purchase from various vendors, music fit for shaking your tail feathers, and family-friendly games and activities. A sight not to be missed, Duck Fest truly gets quacky with an 11 a.m. duck drop launching more than 19,000 eco-friendly toy ducklings into the water from the Ann W. Richards Congress Bridge. Ducks will “race” to the finish line with a little help from water currents and sprays from their friends at the Austin Fire Department, competing for a chance to earn prizes on behalf of their adoptive duck parents.
Local residents are encouraged to get involved today by adopting a duck individually or together as teams to compete in the August race. Online duck adoptions are available now through midnight Friday, August 3—or until ducks sell out, which they have done in past years (hurry to adopt your ducks today or enroll in a virtual team race). Single ducks can be adopted for $5, and Quack Packs, Flocks, and the Quacker’s Dozen are also available at www.austinduckderby.com.
Adoptive parents of the Derby’s fastest competing ducks will win the following prizes:
- Grand Prize: 2018 Volkswagen Jetta, sponsored by Onion Creek Volkswagen
- Second Place: One-week stay for Summer 2019 at Heritage Fairmont Place in Telluride, Colorado including two Southwest Airlines tickets
- Third Place: Two Season Tickets to The University of Texas at Austin Longhorn Football
Hosted by The Austin Boys and Girls Club Foundation, a nonprofit that provides assistance and scholarships to Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area, all proceeds from the Austin Duck Derby will help ensure that local youth who lack free or affordable out-of-school-time programming receive the support they need to build great futures and become productive, caring and responsible citizens. Last year, the event raised $100,000 through a combination of adoptions and sponsorships.
“We at Austin Sonic Drive-Ins are proud to support the Austin Boys and Girls Clubs Foundation in sponsoring the Duck Derby in its 5th year. With a genuine interest in seeing our local community thrive, the Duck Derby is a uniquely fun event that gives locals a way to rally together in support of the youth who are the future of this city,” said Denise Conway, Austin Sonic Partner. “Being able to make a difference in this way is one of the best things about being a business owner, and we consider it a privilege to give back.”
To learn more, visit www.austinduckderby.com. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Wes Livesay at 512.444.7199 or wes.livesay@bgcaustin.org. To follow along on social, use the hashtag #DuckDerbyATX.
About the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area (BGCAA) is Austin’s leading out-of-school time youth development agency, currently engaging with more than 11,300 kids annually and serving 7,500 registered Club members ages 6 to 18 at 33 locations in Travis and Bastrop Counties. BGCAA’s formula for impact centers on quality programming and services in academic success, character and leadership, and healthy living. Club youth participate in high-impact development programs that, when compared to non-Club youth, result in better school attendance, better grades, higher graduation rates and a better likelihood of attending college. Through support from local individuals, businesses and BGCAA Staff, Club youth are given the tools and opportunities to create great futures. More at www.bgcaustin.org.
About Austin Boys and Girls Club Foundation
The Foundation’s purpose is to create an endowment that will ensure the long-term sustainability of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area. Proceeds from the endowment are also used to award college scholarships to worthy Club members, which in turn ensures the long-term sustainability of the community. www.bgcaustin.org/about/abgcfoundation.com.
About Sonic
SONIC, America’s Drive-In is the nation’s largest drive-in restaurant chain serving approximately 3 million customers every day. Over 93 percent of SONIC’s 3,500 drive-in locations are owned and operated by local business men and women. For more than 60 years, SONIC has delighted guests with signature menu items, 1.3 million drink combinations and friendly service by iconic Carhops. Since the 2009 launch of SONIC’s Limeades for Learning campaign in partnership with DonorsChoose.org, SONIC has donated more than $5.0 million to public school teacher’s classrooms nationwide to fund essential learning materials and innovative teaching resources to inspire creativity and learning in their students. To learn more about Sonic Corp. (NASDAQ/NM: SONC), please visit sonicdrivein.com and please visit or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. To learn more about SONIC’s Limeades for Learning initiative, please visit www.limeadesforlearning.com.
###