New Record Set For The 2025 Great Duck Race
A Westport Fireman operates the high pressure hose to fill the flume upon which the thousands of ducks will travel as they compete for the $5,000.00 first prize and the remainder totaling another $5,000.00.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Each year the Westport Sunrise Rotary holds an event to raise much needed funds for a great many charitable and non profit organizations know as The Great Duck Race. This year "Sunny" the Duck's small army of dedicated volunteers worked tirelessly to bring this cherished Westport tradition to life once again at Jesup Green alongside the Saugatuck river.
The event is held each year with jUNe Day, Westport’s celebration of the United Nations which is also made possible by the volunteers who assist in the jUNe Day event. There was also support by the Westport Fire Department, the Westport Police Department and the Westport Library. This year, thanks to the generosity of Westport families, The Great Duck Race was able to generate more than $100,000 in proceeds from the record number of 3,233 tickets sold. Each ticket entitles the purchaser to their little rubber duck which races down the flume toward the finish line in a thrilling competition to see which ones will grab some of the $10,000 in prize money.
Hundreds of spectators began lining the “race course” well in advance of the big moment in order to get a great view as the ducks approach the finish line, with as many as 1,500 and 2,000 coming to enjoy the festivities.
The A.J. Penna front loader made it’s way to the start line to pour the thousands of ducks into the holding pond and the bucket is empty they are released on their way to “victory lane” as it were.
Once all the ducks are in their positions, the “starting gate” is raised and off they go!
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Under he watchful eye of Second Selectwoman Andrea Moore and the volunteers the ducks approach the entry port “finish line” as they jockey for position.
The first place finisher, the $5,000 lucky duckie is plucked from its position and handed to the volunteers who carefully place in numbered bags all the ducks in order of finish. In a testament to the generosity of our neighbors, as in years past, some of the winners donated all of their prize money back to the Sunrise Rotary in order to further help the charities they support.
Prize winners were: Sharon Rychilk, 1st place, $5,000, and Bruce Fritz, 2nd place, $1,000
Other winning ducks brought $500 in prize money to Ellen Swisher, Brian Stern, Angelo Termine , Gimbels Pon, Ian Gorman, Courtney Mullen, Tim Kelly and Sylvia Galambos.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
After the conclusion of the race, spectators enjoyed the other activities including the holding up the world photo op.
There was plenty of work to be done by the volunteers from last minute adjustments to the flume to handling the paperwork for ticket purchasers.
Many generous sponsors made this event possible and provided fun activities for families.
Gold Level Sponsors: Kohler, Hartford Healthcare, Rumi Mind Health, AJ Penna & Son, Gault Family Companies and The Clubhouse Westport offered activities like Duck Toss, Pin Making, Nerdy Derby, Sand Creations, as well as Health Screenings
Silver Level Sponsors: Webster Bank, Volvo, Landtech, New Perspective Cabinetry & Design, Nomade Restaurant
Bronze Level Sponsors: Cohen and Wolf, Tanner White Architects, FLB Law, JMKA Architects, Village Pediatrics, SIR Development, Leifer Properties, Bluewater Home Builders, MarshMcLennan Agency, Yvonne Sentura & Ron Henkoff, Jim Ezzes, Westport National Bank, Wells Fargo Advisors, Berchem Moses, Liz & Jim Wong, Ring’s End, Fairfield Country Day School, BOOM Photo Booth
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Sunrise Rotary will distribute funds from their 2025 events to charities in 2026. They recently distributed the 2024 funds (in May 2025) and the list of charities we have supported can be see here: https://westportsunriserotary.org/supported-charities.
The grant applications are available later in the year, with the deadline typically in late January. Their Charitable Giving Committee then works on the applications and the approval process takes a few months. So we have not earmarked any of the funds raised - each year there is a process of grant applications and awards. They also set aside a small percentage to partner with Rotary Clubs around the world to help in communities in other countries.
One of the ducks (above) jumped out to an early lead reportedly riding and tumbling in a wave. We cannot say if that duck managed to hold on to the lead.
For some of the children at the Great Duck Race their favorite part was at the conclusion when they were able to jump into the flume and help the volunteers gather up the thousands of ducks.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Very Busy Westport Sidewalk Sale Weekend
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The weather on Saturday in Westport was hot and so were the sales on Main Street and downtown. Hundreds of shoppers threaded their way through the clogged roads leading to downtown, made even busier with crowds that attended the Great Duck Race and UN Day.
Shoppers kept the staffs busy and the cash registers working hard as they poured over the racks on the sidewalks and took advantage of a great selection of bargains.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
After their shopping excursion this couple found a cool, quiet place to relax in the Adirondack chairs overlooking the Saugatuck on Gorham Island.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
It Ain't Easy Staying Green On Days Like This!
Longshore Golf Course has had the benefit of lots of rain to keep the fairways and greens that beautiful "golf course" green, at least until this week.
Club management deployed their irrigation system yesterday afternoon as the grass will quickly dry out under the scorching temps we have had to endure this week. They continually irrigate under the conditions as we have had recently.
Longshore Ranger Bill Gill is charged with patrolling the grounds to keep people off the course who shouldn't be on it, and to watch out for any vandalism. Gill, who has been at the club for seven years told WestportLocalPress the course is frequently dry in part due to the winds blowing off the sound. Gill also said that many clubs have to prohibit golf carts on their courses when they have the kind of rains we have had this spring as the grass could be damaged when soaked due to days of rain, but Longshore drys out quite quickly due to the breezy conditions.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com.
The full sun that required the watering of the grass also provided a beautiful rainbow.
Opening Day At New Compo Playground!
The new Compo Beach Playground was official opened on Memorial Day Weekend with a "ribbon" cutting with volunteers and local officials.
Photos by J.C. Martin, Story By Piper Salik for Westport Local Press
After the ribbon was cut, a photo-op was held with volunteers and the first kids (and adults) to enjoy this very special place for Westport children.
The official Town Of Westport Giant Scissors were required to cut the “ribbon” which was actually one of the banners used to promote and request donations for the Playground project.
An Innova rocker, a rope adventure course, a circus swing or a cradle bridge alone is enough to excite any child in town. The new and improved Compo Beach playground has all the features and more! Westport children are now able to explore these new additions to the playground after missing the structure for nearly two months.
Photos by J.C. Martin, Story By Piper Salik for Westport Local Press. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The newest version may look different from the playground many Westport citizens are used to. There is now an increase in playing area, including a small designated sandbox, with a squared-off fence line. There is also an installation of seven new features, as well as some of the old features. While building, volunteers ensured that the sight lines were increased to allow parents to better oversee their children while playing.
Westport mother, Diana Dalamagas, says, “playgrounds need clear visibility because parents can get distracted, and it can be stressful to lose sight of their young children.”
Photos by J.C. Martin, Story By Piper Salik for Westport Local Press. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
According to the Westport Journal, many of these new structures were added to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. This includes easily accessible structures, an increase in space around the playground and an increase in visibility for parental figures. The previous playground did not meet these standards, as those who were disabled found themselves unable to access many parts of the older structure.
The original playground in Westport was built in 1988. And 18 years later was redone in 2006. The playground has been kept the same until this Spring when construction took place from March 1 to April 26.
Photos by J.C. Martin, Story By Piper Salik for Westport Local Press. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Excited volunteers and visitors show some love to the photographers following the official ribbon cutting.
The newest version of the Compo Beach playground truly encapsulates the heart of the Westport citizens. Volunteers took time out of their days to rebuild and implement new and safer equipment for the children to play on. This includes the Innova rocker, rope venture climber, cirrus swing, orb rocker, brava swing, stem play activity panels, cradle bridge and accessible ice cream truck.
Photos by J.C. Martin, Story By Piper Salik for Westport Local Press. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The renovations took a tremendous amount of hard work as well as a lot of money. The project was anchored by $100,000 in gifts from both the Westport Rotary and Westport Police Foundation. The group continues to work hard to reach its goal of $650,000. With this, the playground will be modernized in hopes of lasting for generations.
Photos by J.C. Martin, Story By Piper Salik for Westport Local Press. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
