Stories

2023 Big Daddy Duck Sales Underway

The annual Rotary Club of Rockford’s Big Daddy Duck fundraiser is kicking off this week and ducks are starting to flock into town for the big event. Rotarians are busy visiting local businesses to sell and drop off ducks for the Big Daddy Duck festivities that take place as part of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce’s 54^th Annual Start of Summer Celebration, June 8-11, 2023.

The cost to purchase a duck is still $100 and all money received through this fundraiser is used to support the many projects of the Rockford Rotary Club in our community. Families are also encouraged to purchase a duck for a chance to win prizes in one of four contests: Most Popular Duck by online voting, Prettiest Duck by monetary voting in the club’s Feed a Duck, Feed a Child campaign for hand2hand, plus fastest and slowest duck in the big river race on June 10 at 5 pm at the dam.

To order a duck, visit the www.rockfordmirotary.club and click on the “I Want A Duck” on the forms page or by calling 616-443-8110.

Rockford Brewing Company was the first business to receive their 2023 duck. Pictured are employees Leah T and Tyler accepting their duck for this year's contests.

Pints for Polio - Eradicating Polio One Pint At A Time

Thanks to everyone who came to our fist annual Pints for Polio Event at the Rockford Brewing Company.

We were able to collect $620 dollars which will be matched by the Gates Foundation 2:1 in the fight against polio. Through the generosity of our sponsor and evening host, Rockford Brewing Company and direct donations, we will be able to vaccinate 620 children against this disease. Each vaccination costs approximately $3.00 to administer. There are only two countries in the world, Afghanistan and Pakistan, that still report wild polio cases so we are close to eradicating this disease.

Rockford Rotary Annual Chicken BBQ Great Success!

The annual Rockford Harvest Festival Chicken BBQ was again a great success! People began lining up early after whiffing the delicious smell of the specially seasoned chicken as it was being prepared on the Green Egg grills outside the Rotary Pavilion. Special THANK YOU to Herman’s Boy for donating their special seasoning for the chicken and coffee.

Proceeds from the BBQ are used for various Rotary projects in the Rockford Community. Projects include: promoting literacy with Little Free Libraries and Reading Rocks, helping students in need at Rockford High School with the STRIVE program, offering two college scholarships each year to Rockford High School Interact students, supporting the Life Leadership program each June to develop young leaders (high school juniors), contributing to the stage at Garden Club Park, contributing to the renovation of the Rotary Pavilion, supporting Shop With a Hero each fall, supporting Ukrainian Refugees with Rotary Rocks for Shelter Box and more.

Plans are already underway for the 2023 BBQ and the Club looks forward to seeing everyone again in the fall! Thank you to all who support our fund raisers! We really appreciate you!

Rockford Rotary joins with Rockford Lions to Support RHS Band

Rockford Community Can Drive to benefit the Rockford High School Marching Band

Event coordinator/contact: Deb Davis, Rockford Lions Club member, 616-723-1178

What: Rockford Community Can Drive

When: Saturday, February 19, 2022 - 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Where: Parking lot at Great Lakes Ace Hardware

643 Northland Dr NE, Rockford, MI 49341

Why: The can collection trailers for the Rockford Lions, Rockford Rotary and the Rockford High School Band were all robbed on Saturday, February 12, Monday, February 14 and Tuesday, February 15 (Three different locations; multiple robberies each day)

The Rockford Lions and the Rockford Rotary are teaming up to host this can drive to benefit the Rockford High School Band in replacing their lost revenue from the robberies. The Band is gearing up for a trip to the Rose Bowl Parade in 10 months and we want to give the Rockford community the opportunity to help us turn this negative incident into a positive event!

Community members are invited to drive through the drop off area between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. and volunteers from the Lions, the Rotary and the Rockford High School Band will be on hand to accept their donations of returnable cans and bottles.

Spokespersons for the Rockford Lions, and the Rockford High School Band and Boosters will be available for comments at the event and prior. Please contact Deb Davis for further information.

Please note: While the owners of Great Lakes Ace Hardware are supporting this effort with the use of their property for this event, no spokesperson will be available regarding this event. Thank you for your attention to this detail.

Rockford Rotary Kicks off 2022 Duck Race

We kicked off sales for our 2022 Duck Race February 8th. The duck race will take place at the dam in downtown Rockford at the Start of Summer Celebration on June 11th. Race time is 5 p.m. The ducks will be displayed in downtown business windows starting May 31st with online voting for the most popular duck starting the same day. Trophies will be awarded for the Most Popular Duck (online), the Prettiest Duck (most money in the jar at the booth) and Fastest and Slowest duck (river race). If you are interested in purchasing a duck for this year's race, you can sign up HERE.

Last year 206 area businesses decorated ducks. We are shooting for 325 this year, so sign up now and get to work on that duck!

Prettiest, Fastest and Slowest Ducks

We had a great duck race weekend. Thank you for everyone who came out and watched the race, voted on ducks, enjoyed the duck shoot and was able to visit our free book giveaway. We had fun interacting with all of you. The parade was a lot of fun as well! Thank you also to all the businesses that sponsored a duck. The duck race would literally not happen without you. Thank you!

Rockford Rotary to Giveaway Books at SOS 2021

Promoting literacy is very important to our club. We started Reading Rocks in Rockford and normally have our Hook a Book tent at that event to giveaway age appropriate children's books. Reading Rocks was not able to be held this year due to COVID. In lieu of that event, we will be giving away free age appropriate books to kids at our booth at Start of Summer. Please stop by our booth (in front of the Rockford Hemp Co in downtown Rockford), vote for the duck you think is the prettiest (drop some money in a jar to help your duck win), participate in the duck shoot and have your child draw a duck to win a free book (everyone is a winner). We look forward to seeing you on June 12th!

Rockford Rotary Helps Plant Trees in Memorial Park

On May 1, 2021, Rockford Rotary helped other volunteers and the City of Rockford plant 27 trees in Memorial Park behind the Community Cabin in Downtown Rockford. The tree planting is in celebration of Arbor Day and is in line with the City's ongoing sustainability program.

Rockford Rotary 2021 Big Daddy Duck Race

We have been selling Big Daddy Ducks throughout the spring and have close to 200 entries for the 2021 race. We will race the ducks this year on Saturday June 12th @ 5pm as part of the Start of Summer festivities. It will start at the dam in Rockford and end in Richardson-Sowerby Park on the other side of the bridge. Please come down and see the race. It is always a lot of fun, and it is something that you don't see very often (large rubber ducks - many of which are decorated in all different ways - floating down the river). Come see the ducks before the race as well. We will display them all day on the 12th. You can pick a favorite duck and vote for it with money. The duck with the most money in its jar at the end of the day will win a trophy for the Prettiest Duck in Rockford. Look for announcements on this website and our facebook page about voting online for each duck. Online voting starts on May 31st. We will award trophies for the fastest and slowest ducks in the river race. Any person or family or business can enter the race. To enter the race, you need to make a donation of $100 to Rockford Rotary. It is still not too late to purchase a duck. If you would like to purchase one, simply fill out our duck request form HERE. We will get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you for supporting Rockford Rotary!

Rockford Rotary Can Drive Nets Big Check for City - Thank you Rockford!


	Due to the generous support by the Rockford community of the Rotary Club of Rockford’s fundraiser, Rotarians Jim Tol, President and Erik Luxhoj, Secretary were able to present a check for $30,000 to Rockford City Manager Thad Beard and Mayor Ed Ross to help fund the new Stage at Garden Park.