Pubdate: Sun, 24 Oct 1999
Source: Times-News, The (ID)
Copyright: 1999 Magic Valley Newspapers
Contact:  P.O. Box 548, Twin Falls, ID 83303
Fax: (208) 734-553
Feedback: http://www.magicvalley.com/submit.html
Website: http://www.magicvalley.com/
Author: Jennifer Sandmann, Times-News writer

DUCK RACE TURNS INTO DUCK CHASE

TWIN FALLS -- The Great Magic Valley Derby Duck Race turned into a great
duck chase Saturday at Rock Creek Park.

Estimates of between 1,400 and 1,500 rubber ducks were released into Rock
Creek at about 1 p.m. and proved too much for the trap at the finish line.
The swift current carried many of the ducks past barriers and down the
creek, but race organizers had the help of spectators who chased the ducks
downstream.

John Kootstra and Brett Cole followed the lead duck down the creek to a
shallow point in the water. The two men waded in their clothes to bail a
pile of ducks. Kootstra said he guessed only about a dozen ducks got past
them.

Other ducks were snagged in the brush.

Radio station KSKI with the help of KMVT television organized the race to
raise money for Twin Falls and Jerome county D.A.R.E programs, the police
anti-drug programs for children and teens. The two stations raised a few
thousand dollars for D.A.R.E.

D.A.R.E. received 40 percent of the money raised, said Lee Wagner, general
manager of KMVT. The rest of the $5 from every duck sold went to organizing
the race. The tamer Perrine-Coulee would have been a better race course, he
said.

Children had a good time.

"I thought it was cool, because there were so many ducks" said Elizabeth
Smith, 11, who added that it also was kind of funny to see the ducks
floating past the guys in waders who hustled to net them.

"It was pretty funny," agreed Josh Ross, 13.

The winning ducks were the first ones to float into a catch tube at the
finish line.

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