Ducky salespersons are needed at the following times/locations.
If you can help us out please fill out the volunteer form below.

The United Way of Cape May County is one duck closer to a successful Rubber Ducky Regatta on Aug. 15. As the Leader reported last week, four United Way of Cape May County rubber duckies were reported missing after they flew the coop during a visit to the Mariners Landing Ghost Ship, but thanks to Frank Dragotta, of Philadelphia, one has been found.
Dragotta guessed that Suzy Spa Duck had found her sweet spot at the Candy Wheel on the Boardwalk at Magnolia Avenue, and he was correct. She was found giving herself a Skittle spa treatment and chowing down on Dilly Bars from Boardwalk Dairy Queen next door.

“Sometimes a girl’s got to treat herself,” she said.

For his efforts, Dragotta will receive a prize pack of gifts from local businesses, and he will be entered into a drawing for the Grand Prize, which includes a Seaside Fun Pack of Morey’s Piers passes, Tram Car tickets, and admission for two to the Sweet Soul and Rock ‘n Roll Concert at the Wildwoods Convention Center on Labor Day weekend. The concert features entertainment by Little Anthony and the Imperials, The Temptations Review with Dennis Edwards and The Spinners, plus celebrity impersonator Linda Axelrod as Joan Rivers.

Suzy Spa Duck has now returned to United Way’s Duck Training Center and is preparing for race day, but sadly, three ducks remain missing, and the United Way needs to get its ducks in a row for the Regatta. They are asking Gazette readers for help.

Police recently received a lead on Cowgal Sal ducky. Please study the note and pictures that contain clues to her whereabouts. If you think you know where she is, email your tip to flewthecoop@uwcmc.org before noon, Saturday, July 24 to be eligible for this week’s prize. Please include your name, hometown, phone number and a description and location of the duck’s hiding place. A winner will be randomly selected from all complete and correct entries.

Here’s the clue:

Yeehaw!!! You’d never think a tough cowgirl like me would find a comfy spot amid all this Victorian charm. It’s no rodeo, but golly, it’s great here. We clippity-clop along the streets night and day, learning all about the history of this fancy place. I’ve seen a wedding and a few proposals, and the romance of it all leaves me feeling like it might not be too bad to be a cultured lady duck after all. Ya’ll stop by the mall, and we’ll show you some southern Cape May County hospitality.

The 2010 United Way of Cape May County Rubber Duckies have arrived and are just waiting to waddle into your life!

For a donation of just $5, each ducky comes with a chance to win fabulous prizes at the 17th Annual Rubber Ducky Regatta, Aug. 15, plus a passport to race day fun that includes a free ride on Morey’s Giant Ferris Wheel, a hot dog and a coke, plus a buy-one-get-one-free ice cream from Boardwalk Dairy Queen for dessert.

The five new ducky mascots include: Suzy Spa Duck, Cowgal Sassy Sal, Ron the Rocker and E.M.S. Eddie. Plus, one mysterious ducky is waiting to introduce himself at the Rubber Ducky Regatta, at Morey’s Mariner’s Landing.
Ducks are currently on sale at: Cape Bank, Crest Savings Bank, PNC Bank, 1st Bank of Sea Isle City, and many other local businesses. Proceeds help the United Way of Cape May County to fund important local programs that help county residents lead better lives.

For more information on the Rubber Ducky Regatta or how you can help, call 609-729-2002.

An afternoon of fun on Sunday, July 4, turned quickly to one of chaos for the United Way of Cape May County, when four celebrity rubber ducks went missing on Mariner’s Landing Pier, just weeks before the annual Rubber Ducky Regatta.
The ducks, who are in training for the regatta, were visiting the Boardwalk to get a sneak peak of the Lazy River in Raging Water’s Water Park, where crowds of ducky fans will gather on Aug. 15 to watch thousands of rubber ducks race for prizes in the United Way’s biggest fundraising event.

United Way staff became alarmed, however, when the ducks failed to return to ducky headquarters by their 8 p.m. curfew.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time the gullible rubber duckies have fallen victim to fowl play. Occasionally, the pressure of preparing for the big race gets to them, and they feel the need to duck out for a while.

This time, however, investigators believe that the duckies may have just chickened out. A paparazzi of duck fans last spotted the ducks in front of Morey’s new Ghost Ship attraction at about 6 p.m. on Sunday. Witnesses reported that the ducks seemed to be planning on entering the creepy craft, but their feathers were obviously ruffled.

“A little bird told me they were terrified of becoming dead ducks,” Detective Drake Hunter, said, “but they didn’t want to be seen as chickens. I don’t blame them for flying the coop. Did you hear what happens to birds in the galley of that boat?”

Hunter said he has already received clues to one duck’s whereabouts, but he needs your help to find her. Study the picture and letter from Suzy Spa Duck, and if you think you have located her, email your tip to flewthecoop@uwcmc.org before noon, Saturday, July 17. Please include your name, hometown, phone number and a description and location of the duck’s hiding place to be eligible to win. A winner will be randomly selected each week from all correct entries and announced here next week.

Here’s the clue:

Dear ducky fans,
I know you expect fearlessness from me, but to be honest, that ship razzled my nerves and sent them aflutter. Please don’t snicker. I’ve settled into a sweet spot now, and I’m feeling like a lucky ducky to have landed here. Just a few blocks from that vile sea vessel is my rainbow world of bursting stars and lifesavers. Stop by for a visit, and for just 25 cents you could be lucky, too. If not, you could get your sugar daddy to treat you to a Dilly Bar next door. Find me if you can.

Hugs and Kisses,
Spa Duck Sal

It’s time to get quackin’. The United Way of Cape May County’s Rubber Ducky Regatta is just around the corner on Aug. 15, and there’s lots of work to be done.

That’s why volunteers from Cape Bank joined United Way Financial and Development Director, Stephanie Hoover and Board Member Jessica Gonzales, of Sturdy Bank, for a day of duck-sorting fun at the official United Way “Rubber Duck Training Center” at Coastline Cooling and Heating in Burleigh.

The ducks will be distributed this week, and soon they will be available at local banks and businesses to benefit United Way sponsored programs.

Old favorites like the Fireman and Soccer ducks are finding their places among new friends like the Rock and Roll duck and the Cowgirl duck–each one charming in his or her own way, and eager for adoption by Rubber Ducky fans. New duck parents are also eligible to win fantastic prizes from local businesses at the Regatta at Morey’s Raging Water’s water park next month.

But there is still plenty of work to be done in preparation for the United Way’s biggest fundraising event of the year, and the duckies need your help.

If you can lend a hand, the United Way offers many volunteer opportunities, where you can make friends (feathered and otherwise) with people dedicated to making Cape May County the best that it can be. To see how you can help, call 609-729-2002, or visit uwcmc.org

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.

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.

Peer Leaders from Cape May County Technical High School sorted and inventoried the rubber ducks used in the Rubber Ducky Regatta in April.
Thanks, Peer Leaders!