Rubber Duckie Race draws more than 100 participants, raises money for Big Duck
Tim Hynes, 31, of Flanders, drops rubber ducks in the water at the 14th annual Rubber Duckie Race in Flanders Saturday. Credit: Thomas Hengge
Hundreds of rubber ducks floating along the calm waters of Reeves Bay brightened up an otherwise dreary afternoon in Flanders Saturday.
Cool weather and misting rain did not deter the more than 100 people who gathered for the 14th annual Rubber Duckie race to benefit the Big Duck, the landmark along Route 24 in Flanders that turns 95 this year.
Families, tourists and enthusiasts of the quirky roadside attraction lined the lawn of the Flanders Men's Club to watch their ducks be released from a boat and drift until three winners emerged.
The annual event is a fundraiser for the nonprofit Friends of the Big Duck, which aims to preserve the history of the nationally recognized landmark and attract visitors. This marked the first time in the event's history that they sold out of rubber ducks for the race, organizers said.
"I get a kick out of the duck. It makes you smile whenever you see it," Friends of the Big Duck president Neil Young said in an interview.
Janice Young, left, and Patty Hopkins dole out duckies to racers. Credit: Thomas Hengge
The Big Duck was built in 1931 by a Riverhead duck farmer to help attract business. At the time, during the height of duck farming on Long Island, it sold duck eggs and processed birds inside. The attraction is now a gift shop with exhibits and artifacts showcasing the region's farming history.
Standing 20 feet tall, the duck has glowing eyes made from Model-T taillights and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
"From the 1880s when Pekin duck was brought here, it became a strong part of the economy for 100 years," Young said. "It was definitely what put Long Island on the map, because Long Island duckling was known worldwide."
Over the years, the nonprofit has helped fund gardens to beautify the grounds, add an outbuilding for restroom facilities and operate the gift shop and duck farming exhibit in a Victorian-era barn on the site.
For race participant Allison Bartol, of Farmingville, there's no more iconic symbol of the Island.
Bartol, 26, recently got a tattoo of the landmark from her fiance Louis Navas.
"We're planning to move off the Island in the next few years, so it's knowing that I have a piece of Long Island on me," Bartol said. "If I meet somebody not from Long Island, I bring them out here every single time they come to visit me."
Many said the Big Duck has been the background for family memories, making pit stops on drives out east to take photos or buy memorabilia.
Nicole Barisic, of Port Jefferson, said her family hasn't missed a rubber duck race in more than a decade. They started coming when her eldest daughter Mabel, 11, was a baby and now share the fun with younger daughter Ada, 9.
"It was something we did with my mom. We lost her a few years ago to ALS, but the kids remember this," Barisic said. "We have a lot of memories here, all these little milestones."
Prize baskets with hundreds of dollars in local gift cards and wares were awarded to the top three winners.
But Japna Sethi, 19, and John Anthony Lewis, 20, of Levittown, claimed the coveted last-place prize of a giant rubber duck on their first visit to the attraction.
"It's charming," Lewis said. "He's big, he's a duck. What's not to like?"
