PIC sports manager and race director Dennis Tababa said nearly 1,200 plastic ducks have been sold for the duck race slated at the PIC lazy river for Feb. 19. They are looking at launching over 1,500 plastic ducks for the race.
“Our staff has been diligently hitting the pavement and getting the word out,” Tababa said.
He said they will also be selling plastic ducks at the street market on Feb. 17, a couple of days before the duck race.
Since they started selling plastic ducks through online payments, Tababa said they have sold plastic ducks to off-island supporters in Japan, Australia, Kurdistan, Germany, the mainland U.S., Hawaii, Korea, France and Canada.
Buyers can decorate their own ducks before the big race.
Tababa said for those who want to wait until the last minute, ducks will be sold at PIC right up until race time on Feb 19.
Tababa is also urging more companies to join the first Race Around the River which will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 19, right before the duck race.
As of yesterday, eight companies had confirmed participation: G4S, Ideal Signs, Triple J, Coca Cola/Foremost, Pacific Islands Club-Saipan SEA Department, KSPN, Northern Marianas College and Island Apparel.
There are 16 slots for this inaugural Race Around the River. One participant from each company will wear a yellow swim cap, duck beak, goggles, lifejacket and swim fins as they make their way around PIC’s 800m lazy river.
Tababa said all proceeds from both races will to go help the fight against cancer.
The PIC’s annual duck race is designed to collect funds for the Marianas March Against Cancer, which is the fundraising arm of the Commonwealth Cancer Association. Through the duck sales, which cost $5 each, PIC hopes to come up with more funds which the CCA can use to assist cancer victims in the form of medicines, equipment, survival assistance, and more.
Tababa said applications are reviewed by the CCA board of directors which will decide who and how much money is donated from CCA. More information can be found at http://www.ccamarianas.org.
Off-island supporters can still buy plastic ducks online. Payments made through Paypal must be addressed to [email protected] and sent as a gift.
Check payments should be made payable to the Pacific Islands Club-Saipan.
For more information, call Dennis Tababa at 235-6231 ext. 5173 or email [email protected].
