Rubber duckies will once again flood the Elks Lodge pool at the annual Ducky Affair Saturday.
This is the 27th year of the event which is hosted by the Assistance League of Carlsbad.
Ducky Affair raises money for Operation School Bell, which helps dress kids in Carlsbad and Loving for the following school year.
“Everyone is doing it for the kids,” said Roxann Haugen, the chairwoman of Ducky Affair. “Our community just comes out when they hear about the needs for children.”
Haugen said kids who benefit from Operation School Bell are referred by their councilor. For three weeks in July, Assistance League of Carlsbad members take kids to the organization’s chapter house, 1100 N. Canal St., where they can try on the clothes.
“We dress 825 kids on average,” she said. “Last year, we dressed about 850 kids.”
Each kid is given three shirts (one long-sleeve), three pairs of jeans, a pair of shoes, a hygiene kit, a pack of underwear and a pack of socks.
Haugen said people in the community can purchase a duck for $5. Of the 3,700 ducks available, 3,500 have already been sold.
The winning ducky will be picked by the president of the lodge, who is blindfolded.
The winner will receive a grand prize of $1,500. Haugen also said the person whose duck is picked last from the pool will win $500.
There will be food for sale, games and face painting for the children.
Haugen said the Assistance League of Carlsbad also gives an annual Eleanor Harroun scholarship to a high school senior who demonstrates academic achievement and volunteerism. The student receives $15,000 a year for four years in college as long as they keep their grades up.
The organization also participates in other projects like Books and Beyond and New Start.
For more information about the Ducky Affair and where to buy a ticket for the event that starts at 11 a.m. Saturday, contact the Assistance League of Carlsbad at 575-885-3333.
