Activities Report
Here we give a report on various activities that have taken place recently.
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SUNDAY 12th SEPTEMBER 2021 - SIDMOUTH LIONS GREAT DUCK DERBY
on the River Sid in the Byes, Sidmouth EX10 8PR, from 2.15pm to about 4.30pm.
SIDMOUTH LIONS DUCKS RAISE £4,021 FOR CHARITY
Sidmouth Lions Club’s Great Duck Derby took place on Sunday 12th September 2021.
At 2.15 pm, dozens of children and their parents gathered near the Cycle Bridge in the Sidmouth Byes parkland, for the Lions special ‘Duck & Spoon’ races. These fun races started with races for children in various age groups, followed by a Mum’s race, a Dad’s race and concluded with a race for fit Grandparents, all of whom who were enthusiastically cheered on by family and friends!
By 3.00 pm a sizeable crowd had gathered adjacent to each end of the Cycle Bridge for the start of the main yellow Duck Race. It took the Lions just a few moments to get their nine bins of ducks correctly aligned in a row above the bridge handrail. Then, with loud audience participation in the countdown, several thousand little yellow ducks splashed down into the River Sid, watched by the large, enthusiastic crowd of children and adults on both river banks. A few of the ducks needed some ‘egging on’ by Sidmouth College student helpers but once mobilised, the leading ducks didn’t take long to complete the river course, downstream to the finish at the big weir shortly before Salcombe Road. In fact this year’s race was probably the fastest ever with the winner completing the course in just under 30 minutes!
The biggest winners at Sidmouth Lions Duck Derby events are the charities that receive the net proceeds of the main yellow Duck Race. The net proceeds from this year’s Duck Derby were an amazing £4,021, shared between this year’s two main charities, namely Devon Air Ambulance Trust (DAAT) and Sidmouth Lions Club Charity.
So, on September 16, a cheque for £2,020 was presented to Devon Air Ambulance Trust (DAAT) outside DAAT’s charity shop in Church Street in Sidmouth.
Lion President Chris Rignall emphasized that “It would not have been possible to raise this huge amount of money for charity without the extraordinary generosity of local residents and also many of the visitors to Sidmouth during the month prior to the Duck Derby. Sidmouth Lions were especially grateful to the local Co-op and Lidl stores and Coastline Mobility for allowing the Lions to sell Duck tickets from their forecourts; also to the proprietors of ‘Paper Moon’, ‘Cards @ 83’ and ‘Woolbrook News’ for selling our Duck tickets in their shops.
