Craig Howell JUST DUCKY – Volunteers and members of Wellsburg Kiwanis help to pick the winning ducks from the Ohio River Sunday afternoon during the club’s fifth-annual Duck Derby. Proceeds will go toward efforts to build a splash pad in Wellsburg.

WELLSBURG – The rain Sunday afternoon didn’t dampen the spirits for those gathered at the Wellsburg Kiwanis Duck Derby.

For the fifth year, area residents visited the Wellsburg Wharf to watch as hundreds of little rubber ducks were dropped into the Ohio River, each with a chance at prizes.

“It’s been a great day,” Kiwanis President Eric Fithyan said.

The event launched at 2 p.m., with a 5K race where 95 runners and walkers followed a course plotted around downtown Wellsburg.

The event, organized by the Wellsburg Kiwanis Club with support from area businesses and organizations, was held as part of the effort to raise money for a planned splash pad to be built in the city.

“We’re a little over $50,000 in profit,” Fithyan said, noting more than 1,400 entries in this year’s derby.

The splash pad project has a goal of $325,000, with the derby this year, and in previous years, bringing in approximately $125,000 to date.

It is the second such project for the Duck Derby, which raised approximately $27,000 during its first two years toward construction of a new playground at the E.R. Nichols First Ward Park.

After the ducks were dropped into the river, volunteers picked five from the bunch, with sponsors of those ducks receiving prizes.

The recipients included: Bobbie Saunders, with Duck 249, who won the top prize of $1,000; Mike Stillwell, with Duck 125, who will receive one large pizza from Domino’s Pizza every week for a year; Devin Parsons, with Duck 1162, who received $500; Merco Marine, with Duck 903, which will receive $250 worth of McDonald’s gift cards; and Arabella Scott, with Duck 660, who will receive $100.

This year’s Duck Derby was supported by more than 65 sponsors, including McGinnis Made as the Major Quacker Sponsor, and WTOV-TV as the Top Duck Sponsor.

Quacker Backer sponsors included Apollo Pro Cleaning and Restoration, Chambers and James Funeral, Pet and Cremation Services; Howard Hanna Mortimer Realty; Mountain River Physical Therapy; Domino’s Pizza; and Trinity Health System.

(Howell can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com)