Lucky horses and lucky ducks

May 8—Horses weren't the only thing residents were rooting for during Saturday's Kentucky Derby festivities. Some had their fingers crossed for a rubber duck.

The Ducky Derby is the sole fundraiser put on by the Wilson County Community Help Center each year, and is always held on the day of the Kentucky Derby.

"It's a raffle," Wilson County Community Help Center Executive Director Karen Rudzinski said. "You adopt a duck. For each duck you pay $10 and you get a rubber duck that corresponds with the number on the ticket that you get. All those ducks then go into a pool on event day, and we have someone who is our celebrity duck plucker, which this year was (Tennessee State Representative) Clark Boyd."

The duck plucker is blindfolded before they pluck three ducks from the pool. The first place winner won $2,000, the second-place winner won $1,000 and third place won $500.

"Because they're blindfolded, we have to have somebody walk alongside them so that they don't walk in the pool and so they are only pulling out one duck at a time," Rudzinski said. "It's pretty quiet until we pull the duck out, we look at the number and we announce the number."

Around 240 people gathered around a pool in the hopes of their ducks getting picked this year.

"It never ceases to amaze me how this community comes together for so many different organizations," Rudzinski said. "It's unbelievable. I've seen it and watched it for years. I've lived in Wilson County for 30 years or so now and worked for other organizations as well, and it's just amazing to me how they come out and support."

This is the ninth annual event that the Wilson County Community Help Center has put on, but only the fourth annual Ducky Derby Party.

The help center uses the money raised each year to fund the programs and services it provides in the community.

"We provide food," Rudzinski said. "We provide clothing and utility assistance. Last year, for example, we provided $83,800 in utility assistance to people in need in Wilson County. We provide prescription assistance for anyone who is elderly or a cancer patient."

After expenses, the help center raised $60,000 this year.

From the beginning, people went all out in their apparel for the Ducky Derby, donning fascinators just like the ones traditionally worn for the Kentucky Derby.

"We actually have a hat parade at the event and it's a hat contest," Rudzinski said. "We give prizes to first, second and third place."