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SPLISH, SPLASH! DUCKS TO THE DASH
The Columbus Education Foundation (CEF) will host its 3rd Columbus Duck Derby Saturday, May 16 at 11 a.m. in Beason Park, and the excitement is already floating through the air. The Duck Derby isn’t just a fun community event— it fuels scholarships and classroom grants that transform lives and learning environments from K-12th grade.
“I love this Duck Derby event. It’s fun, it’s different. And every duck makes a difference to our CISD students,” said Rebecca Edmiston CEF Board member and Duck Derby organizer.
Get Involved, Make a Difference Eve r yone’s inv i ted to get involved! The weighted rubber ducks can be purchased onl ine, at businesses that have signs that say, “Get Your Duck Here” and at the upcoming Health and Wellness Fair on the courthouse square. “Our goal is to sell 3500 ducks this year,” Edmiston shared. “Each year we have been able to increase the number of classroom grants we can support as well as the total number and the amounts of the scholarships we can award to high school seniors.”
Pricing is just $5 for a single duck, $25 for quack pack of six, or $50 for a flock of 13. Want to make a bigger splash? Sponsorship opportunities range from $100 to $2,000, and include perks such as recognition on CEF’s website, social media, banners, and press releases.
Duck Derby Dollars Spark Student Success Thanks to generous community support, CEF granted $14,848 to classrooms this year. Eleven projects were funded — including schoolwide gardens at every CISD campus (elementary, junior high, and high school) materials that encourage reading for first and second grade classrooms and equipment like CPR mannequins for high school health science students. Duck Derby proceeds also contribute to scholarships for graduating seniors.
This May, CEF aims to award more than $150,000 in scholarships to seniors heading to trade schools, two-year, or four-year colleges and universities - a significant increase from the $6,000 awarded in 2023.
Prizes and Recognition for the Speediest Ducks CISD students and teachers are not the only winners in the derby. Duck Derby participants can be winners, too. The fastest duck earns $1,000, followed by $500 for second place and $250 for third. Winners will be honored at an awards ceremony on the Courthouse Square during the Magnolia Days Festival, making it a day full of celebration and community spirit.
Join the Fun For more information or to purchase your ducks and be part of this quacking good time, visit the CEF website: www. ColumbusEducat ion Foundation.org or call 979-733-2122.
Don’ t mi s s you r chance to be a part of the 3rd Columbus Duck De rby— whe re eve r y duck helps make waves in education!
The Duck Derby was initially launched in 2024 with generous donations from Drymalla Construction Company, AL&M Building Supplies, Baumgart Agency, and Mark A. Chapman Foundation.
CEF is a 501-c3 nonprofit committed to creating brighter futures for CISD students through expanded educational opportunities. The foundation funds both scholarships for high school seniors—whether heading to trade schools, two-year, or four-year colleges—and classroom grants for innovative teacher projects that exceed the traditional budget.
