Rotary’s 3rd annual rubber duck race returns

It’s time for Trumansburg to get its ducks in a row for the upcoming Trumansburg Rotary’s rubber duck race. 

The family-friendly event sees more than a thousand rubber ducks floating down the creek in a race for good.

This year’s duck race proceeds will help to fund the Trumansburg Food Pantry. Last year, proceeds from the event were given to the Fire Department to help purchase new Jaws of Life.

The rubber duck race will be held May 20 at 1 p.m. The event starts in downtown Trumansburg at Frontenac Creek. 

Ducks will enter the creek at the Hector Street bridge, and the first three ducks to cross the finish line at the East Main Street bridge will be declared the winners.

The Rotary Club says it expects the creek to cooperate, with enough water to float the ducks, sunshine and pleasant temperatures. 

There is also a contingency plan for uncooperative ducks, which will be herded to the finish line with the help of Rotarian Angel Stillions and some young volunteers.

The Trumansburg Food Pantry is thrilled that the Rotary Club has dedicated the proceeds from the rubber duck race to the pantry. 

“While our program survives on donations and grants, it’s the community support that truly encourages us to keep on seeking new ways to stay funded, to choose healthy foods and to benefit our community,” said Carol Grove, Trumansburg Food Pantry coordinator. “Our leadership, volunteers and customers thank the Rotary Club for the encouragement and funding needed to provide healthy foods for all.”

One aspect of the event that Rotarian Peggy Haine enjoys is watching the parents and children delight in the excitement of 1,500 numbered ducks tossed over the bridge. 

“I love watching and listening to Bo Lipari playing his ukulele and leading the crowd in a chorus of ‘Rubber Ducky, You’re the One,’ and I love watching the kids in the water, finally warm enough to get into, herding drifting ducks towards the finish line,” said Haine. 

Rotarian Frank Zgola said that one of the Rotary Club members, Cindy Kaine, first floated the idea of the duck race six years ago. 

“During the social isolation of COVID, it seemed the time was right to implement,” said Zgola. “The thought being it was a safe outdoor event which could bring the community together.”

The first, second and third place ducks will win $250, $150 and $50, respectively, for their owners. Tickets are $5 each or five tickets for $20 and can be purchased from the Rotary Club, at the Shur-Save entrance and up to 30 minutes before the duck race.

Although the Route 96 bridge at the finish line is an ideal viewing opportunity, it also poses a danger for excited children who may be tempted to run across the road. The club asks that parents and guardians be mindful of directing their family members to the nearby crosswalks, where village police officers will provide traffic control.

Demand for Peggy Haine and the Lowdown Alligator Jass Band leads to livestream

Concert tickets to see the upcoming Peggy Haine and the Lowdown Alligator Jass Band performance sold out so quickly that audiences have requested that the event be live streamed, which the Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts has arranged. 

The May 6 concert starts at 7:30 p.m. 

“We thought the reserved seating with tiered pricing would be an incentive, but we had no idea [tickets] would go so quickly,” said Dona Roman, managing director of the TCFA. “It shows how much of a fan base Peggy and the band have.”

The decision to offer a live stream was made after approximately 30 patrons contacted the TCFA, disappointed they had not purchased tickets in time.

“Their feedback is what led to the effort to create a video feed of the event,” said Roman.

Livestream tickets can be purchased for $10.00 via tcfa.live. Funds will go toward the matching grant and support the Capital Campaign to restore and renovate the conservatory.

Roman said the concert has significant meaning for the TCFA.

“It’s an incredible gift to us. Peggy is a very talented, kind and generous member of our community,” said Roman. “To kick off our Capital Campaign with this kind of exposure is enormous. We are very grateful to Peggy, the Lowdown Alligator Jass Band, the technicians, volunteers and patrons for making this a one-of-a-kind event.”

Trumansburg Connection appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@VizellaMedia.com or courtney.rehfeldt@gmail.com.

In brief:

Trumansburg Community Yard Sale

If you’re lucky enough to have a winning duck from the rubber duck race, consider taking your winnings to the community yard sale, held May 20, the same day as the race. 

The sale starts at 8 a.m. 

Register online at trumansburg-ny.gov or stop in the Village Office by Tuesday, May 16, for your home’s yard sale to be placed on the map. 

The map will be available online, and paper copies will be available at the Village Office or the Farmers Market on the day of the sale.

May Day 5K returns

The Trumansburg Education Foundation is joining forces with the Trumansburg Elementary and Middle School Parent Teacher Organizations to bring the May Day 5K back to the community this spring. 

This year’s race will be held Saturday, June 3, and includes a short Fun Run at 10 a.m. on the Trumansburg Central School campus, followed by the 5K through the village of Trumansburg at 10:30 a.m. 

The May Day 5K tradition began in Trumansburg in 2011 and continued through 2019 but was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. 

The race, now in its 10th year, is a chance to bring the community together for a wellness event and to cheer on the Trumansburg Girls on the Run team, which will finish their season by running the 5K surrounded by fans.

To register, visit runsignup.com/Race/NY/Trumansburg/TrumansburgMayDay5k. To help sponsor the May Day 5K event, email contact@tburgedfoundation.org. 

All donations are tax deductible and can be mailed to May Day 5&5, c/o Elementary PTO, 100 Whig St., Trumansburg, NY, 14886. 

Donations are also accepted online at Paypal.me/TburgElemPTO. All funds raised will be used to benefit students and teachers in the Trumansburg School District directly. 

Paint & Sip fundraiser for the Searsburg Community Church

Join The Party Brush on Thursday, June 8, 6 to 8 p.m. for a Paint & Sip fundraiser for the Searsburg Community Church.

The cost is $40 per person and includes all supplies, materials and step-by-step instruction.

Free will donations for refreshments will be available. Proceeds will go to benefit the Searsburg Community Church. All seats must be purchased in advance, as space is limited. 

Tickets are available at thepartybrushstudio.com. 

Contact stacey@thepartystudio.com or call 607-624-4410 with any questions.