It’s been a year since Youth Assistance duck made the swim down Paint Creek, and they’re all rested up and ready for another, says Orion Area Youth Assistance’s Tom Swieboda.
This year marks the fifth Annual Duck Race, hosted by Orion and Oxford/Addison Area Youth Assistance, who will share the proceeds from the event.
The ducks will race in Children’s Park in Lake Orion, Aug. 7 at 1 p.m., with proceeds from the event benefiting the two area Youth Assistance mentoring, tutoring and parent education programs.
The organizations are asking for a $5 donation for each ticket. Tickets have a number corresponding to a plastic duck, which will race to award one lucky first place winner with $999, second place winner with an Apple I-Pod, third place with $200, and fourth place with a gift basket.
Racers should meet at Children’s Park gazebo, early, says Swieboda.
All the proceeds do go ‘to strengthen youth and families and reduce the incidence of delinquency, neglect, and abuse through community involvement,? fostering the Youth Assistance mission statement.
Tickets can be purchased the day of the event, or by calling Swieboda at 248-693-6878.
Last year’s proceeds were around $2,500, he said.
Youth Assistance tutoring ‘Gives students that extra academic help after school and helps them grow in their responsibility,? said Swieboda.
‘We have high school volunteers who do the tutoring and the younger students get a little bit of mentoring that way ? they see how important homework is because high school kids are telling them about it,? he said.
In the X-tend program, Youth Assistance matches middle school students with high school students, who meet once a week at the high school.
‘Middle school kids see what it’s like to function at high school,? Swieboda said. ‘Middle school kids might be shy, with not many friends. This gets them used to high school ? gets them comfortable. It helps with self-esteem.?