Wildwood Cape Bank Branch Manager, Kelli Spawton and Teller, Carol Thompson, are hatching a plan. Last year, the branch sold hundreds of rubber duckies as part of United Way’s iconic Rubber Ducky Regatta, but it wasn’t enough.

They didn’t bring home the coveted Ducky Cup–an annual honor bestowed upon the bank that sells the most duckies every year.

Last summer, Crest Savings Bank was neck in neck with 2007 winner PNC for the honor, and in the end, Crest Savings Marketing Officer, Christine Mattera brought the ducky home to the bank, where it was displayed all year. Cape Bank came in at a respectable third place, missing the honor by just a few hundred duckies.

But not this year, Spawton has vowed. This year Cape Bank is in it to win.

Both Spawton and Thompson, recently held a “top-secret” duck-selling strategy session in Spawton’s office, and they put in a request to United Way Executive Director, Suzanne Nardi, for another delivery of ducks.

“I am all about winning the trophy,” Thompson said. “I’ll tell you that right now.”
Thompson said Cape Bank customers are really getting behind the bank’s efforts, as well. One customer, a local businessperson, has pledged to buy one Quack Pack (of five ducks) a week, and she is also sending all of her customers down to support the bank, too.

“I had three customers say Crest is not winning it. We are going to win it this year,” Thompson said.

The Rubber Ducky Regatta takes place on Sunday, Aug. 9 at Mariner’s Landing Raging Waters Park, on Schellenger Avenue. On that day, thousands of ducks will enter the Lazy River and race for the finish to win valuable prizes for the lucky winner’s who sponsored the ducks, who make it there first.

The money raised by the Regatta helps fund United Way efforts to improve the lives of Cape May County residents in many ways. The community-minded local businesses and banks that support the Rubber Ducky Regatta know this. But for some, like Spawton and Thompson, and their colleagues and customers at Cape Bank, winning the Ducky Cup is also a matter of personal pride.
“We’re taking it this year,” Thompson said. “You better believe it.”
For more information, call 729-2002 or visit uwcmc.org.

Get ‘em While You Can

On desks and dashboards from near and far, this much is obvious: rubber ducky pride is alive and well in Cape May County. And now, ducky fans have more reasons to rejoice. The 2009 United Way of Cape May County duckies have arrived, and they are cuter than ever.

New to the scene this year are Gym, the Fitness Duck and Viva, the Sporty Duck. Plus, the limited edition Party Duck and Kayak Duck are now available to Ducky enthusiasts everywhere wherever Rubber Duckies are sold.

These cute collectibles are just part of the Rubber Ducky summer fun, however.

Each ducky comes with a ticket that corresponds to a racing duck that will compete in the Rubber Ducky Regatta, a race that will take place in the Lazy River at Mariner’s Landing Raging Waters Park, on the Boardwalk at Schellenger Avenue, on Sunday, Aug. 9.

When the race starts, thousands of racing ducks are dumped into the Lazy River where they float around the park to the finish line. Hundreds of fans gather around the river to cheer their ducks to victory, and the lucky winners go home with valuable prizes from area businesses, including Season Passes to Morey’s Piers and a $200 gift certificate to Shop Rite, of Rio Grande.

While attending the race, ducky sponsors can enjoy a hot dog and a soda from Wreckers Grill; two for one ice cream from Wildwood Dairy Queen; and a free ride on Mariner’s Landing Giant Ferris Wheel.

Plus, ducky fans also receive one intangible benefit–the joy of knowing that they are helping the United Way of Cape May County to help their neighbors and to make their community a better place to live.

This year, ducks are available for adoption at all Cape May County branches of Cape Bank, Sturdy Savings Bank, 1st Bank of Sea Isle, Crest Savings and PNC Bank. In the Wildwoods, ducks are on sale at Ambiance Hair Salon, Harley Davidson, Bill’s Deli, Back to Health Chiropractic, Sandpiper Monogramming, Pan American Hotel, and Woody’s Surf & Skate (also in Rio Grande); in Marmora at Village Card & Gift and Miracle’s Fitness; and in Cape May Court House at Farrell Chiropractic. For more information, visit uwcmc.org or call 609-729-2002.

When Eric Sanderson received two monetary awards at Upper Township Middle School on June 9 totally $150 he knew just what he wanted to do.

“There was no hesitation on what he wanted to do with the money,” his proud mother, Anne Sanderson said.

He wanted to donate the award money to help someone less fortunate. So he turned to the United Way of Cape May County, and Executive Director, Suzanne Nardi was thrilled to help.

“Another young man might have run out and spent the money on video games without looking back,” Nardi said, “But Eric wanted to do something good for someone else.”

Nardi knew of a local family, who had just undergone a personal tragedy and could use some help. She suggested that Sanderson’s award money could be used to help send one of the children in the family to summer camp. Sanderson agreed.

“The award money will not change my life but (it) can have an positive effect on someone else’s life,” he said.

Not surprisingly, one of the awards Sanderson received was in recognition of his positive attitude, kindness and respect of others.

“He really wanted to pay it forward,” his mom said.

He will be entering Ocean City High School in the fall.

For more information about the United Way of Cape May County, call 729-2002 or visit uwcmc.org

Members of the Cape May County Association of Realtors practiced “living united” on Thursday, July 2 by volunteering at the United Way of Cape May County’s First Call for Help Food Pantry, Maple Ave., Wildwood. The group restocked pantry shelves and provided clients with a delicious bag lunch that included: a Turkey Hoagie, chips, hostess cakes, juice, cheese crackers and slim jims. The Realtors are hoping to return in the fall to serve a hot lunch to clients.

For more information on how your group or business can give back to the community through the United Way, call 609-729-2002 or visit uwcmc.org/volunteer

These local school girls from Middle Township Elementary #2 know what it means to Live United.

They recently collected 274 items for the First Call for Help food pantry. When they delivered the food they also learned about the needs in the community, helped put groceries in the cupboard and prepared bags of food for that week.

The notion of ‘Live United’ can best be summed up in their own words:

My Friends and I were sitting around thinking about all the kids who didn’t have food. Then we all got the same idea. We started a food drive called Kids Against Starvation. This fundraiser helped us realize that some kids aren’t as lucky as we are.
Sincerely-
Madison, Kelly and Khushlr

Great job, girls!

They’ve “Flown the Coop” again!

Fowl play is suspected in the disappearance of five rubber duckies from the United Way of Cape May County’s food pantry, on Thursday, July 2. United Way officials are hoping that Gazette readers will help to locate the missing ducks in time for the annual Rubber Ducky Regatta at Mariner’s Landing Water Park on Sunday, Aug. 9.

The ducks, who have been busy preparing for the upcoming regatta, took a break from their rigorous training schedule on Thursday to help volunteers stock shelves at the First Call for Help Pantry, 230 East Maple Ave, Wildwood.

They were discovered missing by United Way President, Beverly Trapp, who looked for them around Noon and realized they had “flown the coop”.

“I was panicked,” Trapp said. “The Rubber Ducky Regatta is our biggest fundraiser, and the work the duckies do on race day helps us to do the work we do in the community all year long. Each ducky is very special to us.”

In fact, this is not the first time ducks have taken flight just weeks before the race,

United Way Executive Director Suzanne Nardi explained. “There’s a lot of pressure on these cute little guys to do their best. Occasionally, they just chicken out,” she said.

In past years, they’ve escaped to soak in the local sights at area businesses, and luckily Gazette readers have helped to find them before they’ve flown south for the winter or fallen prey to gangs of sinister seagulls.

“We believe it is fowl play,” Nardi said. “But while we are down about their disappearance, we are very hopeful they’ll be found.”

Mysteriously, a note and pictures containing clues to one duck’s whereabouts was delivered to United Way headquarters over the weekend, and Nardi is hoping Gazette readers will again come to the rescue.

Study the note and pictures to see if you know where the duck is nesting. If you recognize the duck’s hideout, submit it to flewthecoop@uwcmc.org, by 1 p.m., Saturday, July 11. Please include your name, hometown and a phone number where you can be reached. Local businesses, including Morey’s Piers, the Boardwalk Tram Car, and Robinson’s and Tony’s Produce, in Villas, have pitched in with prizes, and one lucky duck will be randomly selected each week to receive a reward package. The winner’s name will be published in the Gazette the following week.

My, oh my! The pie’s bigger than I, here at my new hideaway heaven. Black bottom is my all-time favorite.

I don’t mind working hard to earn my keep here at this Wildwood institution, since the food is so fresh, so good and all made from scratch. In fact, me and my new friend Earl and his family start baking at the crack the dawn, and dinner at 4:30 comes fast.

I love Meatloaf Mondays, and though the turkey dinner is a big crowd-pleaser, it makes me just a bit nervous that I too could end up on a plate. It’s not likely though. After all, they’ve been serving up quality and consistency here since 1925, and Rubber Duck L’Orange has yet to be on the menu.

Wildwood’s oldest restaurant is just a few blocks from United Way’s Wildwood office as the crow flies, and lots of rubber duckies have found homes here over the years. Find me if you can.

- Waitress Duck

Rubber Ducky fans are quacking up over the United Way of Cape May County’s new “Quack Pack” – a fun pack of five rubber duckies, plus all the perks of ducky ownership, including five chances to win great prizes in the Rubber Ducky Regatta on Aug. 9.

Plus this ducky party in a box is just $20, a five dollar savings compared to the cost of buying each duck separately.

“Quack Packs” are now on sale at select businesses all around the county, including Cape Bank, Crest Savings Bank, PNC, 1st Bank Sea Isle and Miracles Fitness (both locations). Each box contains two new 2009 duckies, a special squeaky duck and two hard-to-find collector’s ducks from previous Rubber Ducky Regattas. Plus, each “Quack Pack” comes with five tickets, each good for additional gifts from local businesses, including a coupon for a hot dog and a soda from Wreckers Grill on race day; a coupon for buy one get free ice cream cones at Wildwood Dairy Queen; and a ticket for a free ride on Mariners Landing’s Giant Ferris Wheel.

Having one rubber duck compete in the Rubber Ducky Regatta at Mariner’s Landing is just ducky, but having a nestful promises to make race day one you won’t forget.

For more information, visit uwcmc.org/ducky or call Executive Director, Suzanne Nardi at 609-729-2002.

The staff at Study Savings Bank is “Living United.” This winter they volunteered at the United Way’s hot lunch program and served a delicious and hot meal to an appreciative group of United Way clients. After experiencing the needs in the community first hand, Tara Shipley was inspired her to do even more to make a difference through the United Way of Cape May County. She organized a clothing drive, where bank employees donated new and gently used t-shirts for those in the community who need them.