Pool Life is Just Ducky at Holiday Valley
Pool Life is Just Ducky at Holiday Valley
Duck Derby pays out cash AND raises money for charities … every weekend!
HOLIDAY VALLEY - Whether you’re looking to cool down after an exhilarating time climbing the trees at Sky High or just looking to relax and soak in some vitamin D (don’t forget your sunscreen!), the Holiday Valley pools are the scene you need in your life. The pool complex is made up of a toddler pool, a lap pool and an activity pool that has a diving board and a slide. The slide is the spot to be every weekend, where the Pool Staff has recently revived the always-popular Duck Derby race.
The Duck Derby is a 50/50 race for charity. Customers “sponsor” a rubber ducky for $1. Each duck is numbered and all of the sponsored ducks are put into a bucket that is then tossed down the slide. The ducks race to the bottom of the slide and when they hit the water, that’s when the fun begins.
“The Duck Derby Race is such a fun, worthwhile event,” said Stephanie Carter, Pool Manager at Holiday Valley. “The excitement on the faces of the guests from the moment they choose their favorite duck to the announcement by the lifeguards, ‘It’s Duck Derby Time!’ is so much fun to watch! Everyone cheers and rushes to the lower pool to get in position to kick the ducks to the finish line. Also, guests love that, by participating in the Duck Derby, they are given the opportunity to help support local charities.”
Guests line the sides of the pool with their feet in the water. Once the ducks hit the water, they kick to help create a wave throughout the pool in order to get the ducks moving. The harder the guests kick, the more the wave action creates chaos amongst the ducks as they jockey for the lead position.
Once the lead duck crosses the finish line, one of the Holiday Valley life guards calls out the winning duck’s number and the person who sponsored that duck wins the prize for that pool session. The pot is split between the winning person and a charity, which the pool staff chooses. As of this posting on July 26, 2022, $415.00 has been raised for charity because of this fun event.
The Duck Derby takes place every Saturday and Sunday at 1:30pm throughout the summer. Make sure to check out all the Duck Derby excitement on Holiday Valley’s YouTube Channel.