No sunglasses per Charities For Profit.

Duck Race Celebrity Regatta
5:00 p.m. SummerFest Sunday, August 13, 2006
On The River in Memorial Park, St. Marys, Ohio

What is the Celebrity Regatta?

The Duck Race Celebrity Regatta consists of two heats of six innertubers "racing" down the Duck Race course on the St. Marys River (see photo below). The first three finishers in each heat qualify for the Finals.

All SummerFest weekend right up to the Regatta start at 5:00 pm Sunday, wager tickets will be sold at the Duck Race Booth for $1.00 each. The purchaser will write his name, phone number and the name of one celebrity on each ticket, and place it in that celebrity's ticket bin. In this way, betting lines can be generated to provide "odds" on the participants.

After the Finals, one ticket will be drawn at random from the ticket bin of the winning celebrity, and that ticket's purchaser will win $100.00. The winning celebrity will be proclaimed "Anas Curriculum Deus" (Duck Race God) and crowned with whatever piece of trash the Duck Race Committee finds appropriate or handy.

The celebrities are volunteering their time and energies. They are only committed to show up, not necessarily to strive to win. For their trouble, they will receive a Duck Race tee shirt, a hearty handshake and, if requested, a thorough hosing-down when they come out of the river. Not to mention the fact that they will have a lot of fun.

Celebrities are chosen by invitation only. The Duck Race Committee looks for a mix of St. Marys folks who through their talents, occupations, or personalities are well known throughout the community, thus providing a "draw" for spectators and wagerers.

Inner tubes courtesy of RRR Tire Service.

2006 Regatta Celebrities

2006 Regatta Celebrities
(L-R, front): Alyssa Ahlers - 2005 Summerfest Queen; Doris Wale - SMPD Officer; Kelly Kill - Director, St. Marys Area Chamber of Commerce; Brett Liming - 2006 Summerfest Committee Chairman; Jason "Shroom" Schumm - WEBN Radio Personality; Doug Spencer - Auglaize County Commissioner Candidate (L-R, back): Dave Ring - MHS Soccer Head Coach; Craig Gottschalk - Defending Champion & St. Marys Board of Education; Dave Lewis - MHS Assistant Principal; Kurt Meier - CPA Business Owner; J.R. Riffell - WKKI Radio Personality; Brian "Red" Christopher - SMPD Officer.



Upper Left: Doris and Kelly prepare differently... Upper Right: First Heat...
Lower Left: Second Heat... Lower Right: Final - Ahlers Reaches for the Win.
Celebrity Regatta Photos courtesy of David I. Parker

 

August 11, 2003 Evening Leader story

The Duck Race Celebrity Regatta
 Ravine of Champions

2006 Champion: Alyssa Ahlers
2005 Summerfest Queen

2005 Champion: Craig Gottshalk
St. Marys Board of Education

2004 Champion: Nick Fortman
"Mr. MHS" 2004

2003 Champion: Amy Cron
3-Time State Qualifier in 2 OHSAA Swimming Events

2002 Champion: Dr. Bob Keighley*
Partner, St. Marys Surgical Associates, Inc.

2001 Champion: Al Solomon
Auglaize County Deputy Sheriff

2000 Champion: Kurt Kuffner
Business Manager, St. Marys City Schools

1999 Champion: Jennifer Botkin
1998 SummerFest Queen
 

* 2002 Final Heat was cancelled due to lightning: Dr. Bob Keighley won drawing held between six finalist qualifiers.

The Duck Race Celebrity Regatta
 Slough of non-Champions

Mark Ashman* Did Not Win in 2002
MHS & University of Dayton Basketball Star

Kenneth Baker Did Not Win in 2005
Superintendent, St. Marys City Schools

Brad Bartlett Did Not Win in 2003
Independent Candidate for Mayor & Owner of Bartlett's Drive Thru

John Bergman Did Not Win in 1999, 2000 or 2002
Auglaize County Commissioner

B.J. Bethel Did Not Win in 2005
Sports Editor, The Evening Leader

Bruce Brown Did Not Win in 1999
Principal, East Elementary School

Kacie Bruggeman Did Not Win in 2002
2001 SummerFest Queen

Linda Bubp Did Not Win in 1999, 2000, 2001 or 2002
Owner, Pet Round-Up

Jonathan Burke Did Not Win in 2005
2005 "Mr. MHS"

Kari Burke Did Not Win in 2005
2004 Summerfest Queen

Kyrstan Chambers Did Not Win in 2004
2003 SummerFest Queen

Bill Cheslock Did Not Win in 2001
MHS Guidance Counselor

Brian "Red" Christopher Did Not Win in 2006
SMPD Officer

Stacy Clausing Did Not Win in 2003
2-Time OHSAA State Track Champion

Ken Cline Did Not Win in 2003
St. Marys Fire Department Chief

Jim Coons Did Not Win in 2001
WCSM Radio Personality

Jasmine Craft Did Not Win in 2004
OHSAA Swimming State Qualifier

Sara Dieringer Did Not Win in 2005
"Little Riders" Coach

Jeff Eyrich Did Not Win in 2001
Executive Director, Valley Nursing & Rehabilitation Center

Bob Fitzgerald Did Not Win in 2004
2004 Summerfest Committee Chairman

Greg Freewalt Did Not Win in 1999
Mayor, City of St. Marys

Joe Ginter Did Not Win in 1999 or 2001
St. Marys City Schools Teacher

Don Glaser Did Not Win in 2000
Prudential Insurance Agent

Ron Gorby Did Not Win in 2003
Owner/Operator S&W Motel and Suites

Kendra Gottschalk Did Not Win in 2004
SMCS Teacher

Katie Hertenstein* Did Not Win in 2002
St. Marys Seahawks & former MHS Swim Team Coach

Dean Hobler Did Not Win in 1999
President, St. Marys City Council

Graeme Hodson Did Not Win in 2005
Goodyear Plant Manager

Mark Huber Did Not Win in 2005
2005 SummerFest Committee Chairman

Fred Hullinger* Did Not Win in 2002
2002 SummerFest Committee Chairman

Joe Hurlburt Did Not Win in 2004
WKKI Sports Radio Personality

Chris "Priest" Kellermeyer Did Not Win in 2001
Lead singer, Apolsai

Kelly Kill Did Not Win in 2006
Director St. Marys Area Chamber of Commerce

Stephen Kill* Did Not Win in 2002
"Mr. MHS" 2002

Charlie Knous Did Not Win in 2000
Owner, C & C Loft & Lounge

Tom "Boog" Knous Did Not Win in 2003
"Mr. MHS" 2003

Rick Kogge Did Not Win in 2004
Owner, Kogge Inc.

Ken Koverman Did Not Win in 2002
Commander, Lima Post Ohio Highway Patrol

John Krupa Did Not Win in 2003
Staff Reporter for The Evening Leader

Dave Lewis Did Not Win in 2006
MHS Assistant Principal

Brett Liming Did Not Win in 2006
2006 Summerfest Committee Chairman

Kay Maher Did Not Win in 2003
Owner/Operator of Miller's Café

Michael Makley Did Not Win in 1999
Principal, Memorial High School

Kurt Meier Did Not Win in 2006
CPA Business Owner

John Menker Did Not Win in 2004
Owner, The Style Salon and Buckeye Storage

Kraig Noble Did Not Win in 2000
City of St. Marys Law Director

J.R. Riffle Did Not Win in 2006
WKKI Radio Personality

Dave Ring Did Not Win in 2006
MHS Head Soccer Coach

Larry Schaaf Did Not Win in 1999
Owner, Schaaf Auto Sales, Inc.

Ben Schultz Did Not Win in 1999
25-Year MHS Sports Aide and Volunteer

Jason "Shroom" Schumm Did Not Win in 2006
WEBN Cincinnati Radio Personality

Derrick Seaver Did Not Win in 2001, 2002 or 2003
State Representative

Doug Spencer Did Not Win in 2006
Candidate, Auglaize County Commissioner

Jennifer Strickland Did Not Win in 2001
2000 SummerFest Queen

Steve Stroh Did Not Win in 2004
St. Marys Youth Center Director

Lori Triplett Did Not Win in 2000
1999 SummerFest Queen

Derek Turner Did Not Win in 2005
City Engineer Tech

Doris Wale Did Not Win in 2006
SMPD Officer

Kimmer Wale Did Not Win in 2000
2000 SummerFest Committee Chairman

Doug Wilker Did Not Win in 2004
2004 Band Parents President

Laura Yelton Did Not Win in 2005
State Farm Select Agent

Todd Yohey Did Not Win in 1999 or 2003
SMCS Ass't Supt. & 2003 Summerfest Committee Chairman

Claire Zink Did Not Win in 2005
2004 Homecoming Queen

Kelly Jo Zink Did Not Win in 2003
2002 SummerFest Queen

 

* 2002 Finalist: Final Heat was cancelled due to lightning.

Duck Race Celebrity Regatta participants must:

1. Be able to swim.
2. Wear shoes in the River.
3. Start and Finish inside the lane.
4. Remain afloat on top of their inner tubes at all times during the race.

St. Marys River - Home of the Duck Race
The Duck Race Course Starting Gate

Unofficial Duck Race Theme Song:
"Kickin' Back"
Chris Botkin
Why a Duck?
Click me to make it stop!
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