Duck Derby winners
Grand Prize: 2011 Toyota Camry, Mandy Bangs
First place: Best Buy $1,000, Thomas Updegrove
Second place: Lake Lanier Islands Getaway, Diane Taylor
Third place: Apple Ipad, Laura Wellon
Fourth place: Dimo Earrings, Diane Lawrence
Fifth place: Chick-fil-A for a year, Brian Kelly
Sixth through ninth place: $250 Lakeshore Mall shopping sprees, Jim Walters, J. Alexander, Herb Brackin, Jim and Vicki Davis
A record number of ducks meant more money for a good cause.
More than 14,000 ducks were set loose Saturday at the 13th annual Rubber Duck Derby.
The crowd quacked as the ducks raced to the finish line.
"It's simple but it's fun, especially for the kids," said Gainesville resident Joy Amos as her son watched the yellow mass.
"I like this race better (than last year's) because the ducks are faster than usual," said Gainesville resident Alexander Amos, 12. "It makes pretty much the lake yellow."
The derby is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Hall County.
"Everyone looks forward to it every year," said Joyce Wilson, the clubs' vice president of development and marketing.
Though some attendees said the turnout was lower than previous years, Wilson knows the clubs have exceeded their $100,000 fundraising goal. This year yielded record-breaking results, selling more than ducks compared to 11,600 last year.
The winning duck adoptees won a variety of prizes, including a 2011 Toyota Camry for the first-prize winner, donated by Milton Martin Toyota.
In addition to the duck race, the festival featured bouncing houses, carnival games, face-painting, bungee jumping, vendors and plenty of rubber ducks.
The Boys and Girls Clubs' Board of Directors were appreciative to the community, saying that the large turnout "shows how great the support is from the community," said Greg Katulka, vice chairman of the board.