By: Leigh Patterson
On behalf of the Keep Athens-Limestone Beautiful Commission and staff, I would like to say a heartfelt, “Thank You,” to our community for the support that we have continued to receive throughout this very difficult and unprecedented year. I have mentioned over and over in previous articles how we have had to adjust, move some events forward, and cancel others over the last seven months. But in spite of all of that, you as a community have shown up and shown out in support of our organization in many different ways.
One way that you have supported KALB is through our annual membership drive. We made some changes to our membership pricing and added different levels of membership for individuals/families and for businesses/industries. Despite this being a tough year financially for many families and businesses, we had an overwhelming response to our drive. We raised over $10,000 from this effort and for that we are truly grateful to each of you who supported us.
One of the membership “perks” that we offered this year were free duck entries in our Wacky Quacky Ducky Derby, with the number of entries received corresponding to the level of membership. Several of our members were winners this year as a result of their free duck entries!
Speaking of the Ducky Derby, this event is another way that you as a community supported the work of KALB. The race was held on Saturday, October 3, and we were thrilled with the number of participants in this very important fundraiser! Going into this event, we were unsure of how much participation we would have, especially since the Fiddlers Convention was canceled this year, because we always adopt out a great number of ducks onsite at Fiddlers. There ended up being over 2,200 ducks total in the race, which is more than we have ever raced before! The fundraiser brought in over $6,000 for KALB, and we are so appreciative of everyone who adopted ducks this year.
We are also very thankful for our volunteers that helped out during the derby. We had a record number of volunteers this year that gave of their time to help ensure that this was a successful event. A special thank you goes out to Gerry and Marilyn Ford, Barbara Harrison, and Martha Long, who went the extra mile to make sure that the duck trap was ready and working, and that the spillway coming from the duck pond was clean and race ready.
Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank all of the sponsors of our Wacky Quacky Ducky Derby. Without the generosity of these sponsors, who donated all of our cash prizes and other prizes, our event would not have been the success that it was. Because all of our prizes were donated, every dollar raised from duck adoptions went right back into the KALB organization. We are truly grateful for you all! Please see our list of sponsors, prizes, and winners.
Operating as a non-profit organization can be hard under normal circumstances. Fundraising is a necessary part of that, and while this year has certainly brought its own set of challenges, the community support that we have received has been overwhelming. So thank you, Athens and Limestone County, for truly helping us to continue our mission to empower citizens to take greater responsibility for enhancing their (and your) community environment.
For more information on how you can support Keep Athens-Limestone Beautiful, please visit our website at www.KALBCares.com.
By: Leigh Patterson
Executive Coordinator – Keep Athens-Limestone Beautiful
