5,000 ducks, 5,000 prizes, a child's delight

By DAMIIAN LANG

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Ironwood - As a major feature of Festival Ironwood, "the World's Largest Duck Pick" is a big event for young children from around the Ironwood area and surrounding communities.

Imagine being five or six again, and there are hundreds of bright, yellow, tiny, friendly-looking ducks floating in a little pool where you can easily scoop them up with a net.

Not only that, but imagine knowing you will win a prize with the ducks you've picked.

This is no small thing. Families go on road trips just for this event.

The cost to participate in the pick, which occurred several times throughout the long past weekend of the festival, was $2 a duck or $6 for 10.

That's a bargain, and as usual with dang near everything else at the festival, all proceeds are funneled back into the festival - in this case, for more prizes.

It was July 18 at 4:15 p.m., or thereabouts, when the festival had its first "launching of the ducks."

Kids, along with parents or Grandma or Grandpa in tow, were lined up from the curb to the Historic Ironwood Depot. At the front of the line, a tent full of prizes and a small kiddy pool lay awaiting their arrival.

The launching involved 1,000 cheery, little ducks being tossed into the pool to the delight of the kids at the front of the line, who could see the thrilling spectacle.

The Globe caught up with Joanna Ratkowski of Wakefield and her two children, Avery and James, who had just scooped up several ducks with a netted pole.

"We were second in line," said Ratkowski. "We don't mess around. These two have been waiting for weeks."

Indeed, they weren't the only ones.

Marcy Kusz directed the Duck Pick, along with a dozen or more volunteers. It's a big operation.

The prizes were donated or purchased. This year, 55 bicycles were donated, 40 of those from Rize Up and 15 from individuals.

There were 5,000 ducks total and five different drops of 1,000 ducks each. That's 11 kids per duck drop that won a bike. Pepsi also donated a pallet of beverages.

"One of my biggest helpers is Candy Pogliano," said Kusz. "She's the best at shopping for prizes and getting donations. Without her, I don't think I could do this."

Once again, the Duck Pick provided lots of happiness for many children and adults, allowing one more reason for everyone to share the celebration of summer and being together.

As Kusz concluded, "Not a child walks away without a smile."

I happened to be holding a duck in my hand, so I asked the duck, "What's all this mean to you?"

And the duck said, without hesitation, "It means a huge thank you to the community."