One hundred and eighty families will have a Thanksgiving dinner this year thanks to funds raised in Catawba College's 10th annual Duck Draw. This event, coordinated by the Residence Life staff, uses plastic ducks to raise money to buy Thanksgiving dinners for needy local families.
During the past nine years, over 1,300 families have been provided with Thanksgiving meals, thanks to the annual Duck Draw project. This year, the project's goal was to provide meals for an additional 180 families.
Members of the Residence Life staff began collecting $1 donations in September to sponsor each duck that was floated in a small pool at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 19. At that time, the organizers drew a number of ducks randomly from the pool. Each duck plucked from the water had a number displayed on its bottom that corresponded to the number on a $1 ticket purchased by a member of either the college community or the community at large. These numbers also correspond to 165 donated prizes from area merchants, ranging from haircuts to pizzas.
Catawba senior James Everidge, a resident assistant who has been involved with the Duck Draw fundraiser for three years, watched as the ducks were drawn. He was the top seller of Duck Draw tickets among the 29 members of the Residence Life staff. He sold 563 of the 2,400 tickets sold.
Everidge called the project a "good way to give back," and noted that after 10 years, members of the Catawba community have an "invested interest" in the fundraiser.
Proceeds from the Duck Draw, along with funds raised through other projects undertaken by the Residence Life staff, including baked potato luncheons, will underwrite the costs of providing the Thanksgiving meals. Working with local school agencies, the Residence Life staff selects families that need assistance with Thanksgiving meal. Meals include a 10-12 pound turkey, rice, cranberry sauce, green beans, corn, stuffing mix, a box of brownie mix, and even a turkey baking pan.
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