Ticket sales aren't living up to expectations for the Canada Day Duck Race, but organizers are hopeful that'll change before July 1.
“We’re doing the best we can for community and charity organizations, but the biggest challenge we generally face is to get the word out and to get people to participate," said Richard Ritsema, event organizer with the Rotary Club of Guelph-Wellington, which hosts the annual event.
All the money from ticket sales will go to Food4Kids Guelph, an organization providing children with nutritious foods through their school for the weekends, or sending grocery gift cards to their home each week during the summer months.
The decrease in sales comes during a time when charities are seeing a higher demand for services.
Celia Clark, board secretary member of Food4Kids Guelph, said ongoing support from third party events is 'absolutely crucial' as the charity has a limited capacity to fundraise for itself.
"We've more than doubled the number of children we are serving," said Clark, noting food costs have also gone up. "We're doing our best to serve the community as much as we can."
A Rotary Club of Guelph-Wellington news release mentions the organization has been hosting the Canada Day Duck Race for over 20 years, but has found it more challenging during the pandemic to connect with the community. Recent races, including the planned one, have been held through a lottery-style system.
Ritsema said the Rotary Club of Guelph-Wellington doesn't take a percentage off ticket sales for events so it can contribute every dollar to charities.
“We’re targeting all that money to the kids and not a part of it, and that’s what we are trying to do for the kids,” said Ritsema. "If we raise $20,000 in ticket sales, we give them $20,000."
Despite the current number of tickets sold, Ritsema believes it is possible to sell more to raise a lot of money for Food4Kids Guelph.
“We’ve still got ten days left of selling tickets, and generally this is our busiest week for that," said Ritsema.
"If you think about all of us here in Guelph, all the 50, 60 or 70,000 economic units here in Guelph, if each of them bought a ticket, we would sell out."
The Rotary Club Guelph-Wellington will be selling tickets until July 1 at 1:59 p.m. The winner of the draw will receive $500 a month for groceries from Zehrs for a year. To purchase a ticket, or group tickets, go to gotduck.ca.
