Ducks are popular guests at Richmond’s new baseball stadium. So far this year, the Eastern League’s Flying Squirrels have hosted the Akron RubberDucks 12 times and sport a 10-2 home record against the accommodating Cleveland Guardians farm team.
The Squirrels are now biding their time after winning the first-half title and will host playoff games next month. They are hoping to capture a championship in their first season at CarMax Park, where they are one of the top draws in all of Minor League Baseball.
This weekend, however, the stadium will host smaller rubber ducks and different types of games. RVA Duck Fest makes its first appearance at the stadium on Saturday. The annual event is a fundraiser for the Autism Society of Central Virginia, which put on hundreds of programs for more than 11,000 participants last year.
In past years, the fundraiser has been centered around a race in a canal in downtown Richmond. That’s where the rubber ducks came in. Guests would purchase individual ducks, and the first across the finish line would win the grand prize.
The event moved to CarMax Park this year because downtown Brown’s Island is closed for renovations. The yearlong project will deliver $30 million worth of improvements to the island, including an ADA-accessible boardwalk, better connectivity to the James River, and the removal of invasive species. The island is scheduled to host the Richmond Folk Festival beginning Oct. 9, then completely reopen to the public next year.
Moving the fundraiser “gave us an opportunity to be more intentional about the festival experience, which has really become the heart of the event over the years. We’re excited to see how this next chapter unfolds at CarMax Park this Saturday,” the Autism Society of Central Virginia’s Britt Nelson told the Daily Signal.
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“We loved our time at Brown’s Island, but we’re also really excited about what CarMax Park allows us to offer families, from easier parking and wheelchair accessibility to indoor air-conditioned spaces and accessible restrooms. We’re leaning into all that the ballpark has to offer and the opportunity to make the festival even more welcoming.”
RVA Duck Fest includes a number of attractions, including dancing, live music, and a scavenger hunt. It also provides many chances to win prizes. There will be three duck-throwing contests, known as “Chuck-a-Duck,” throughout the day, where guests can purchase a toy rubber duck and then toss it at a target. The closest to the center wins a Golden Egg, which presumably will not be made of rubber.
There is also a raffle for a $10,000 grand prize, and tickets can be purchased online ahead of time. The winner does not need to attend the event to win the grand prize.
The fundraiser also gives other organizations a chance to introduce themselves to the Richmond community. One of the organizations that will be on hand at RVA Duck Fest is the River City Inclusive Gym, a Henrico-based facility dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with disabilities through fitness and fun.
River City Inclusive Gym hosts classes to provide opportunities for students at all levels to learn and play in a gym. It will host its own “We’re All In” fundraiser next month. The name plays off the gym’s motto of inclusiveness.
Gym leaders understand just how crucial these events are in the life of a nonprofit organization.
“We couldn’t survive without our annual silent auction,” COO Jocelyn Childress told the Daily Signal. “It’s the gym’s biggest single event and provides the financial foundation for all we do the rest of the year.”
All of RVA Duck Fest’s attractions are designed with the autism community in mind, so there will be plenty of quiet space available at the park, along with air-conditioned spaces to allow guests an escape from the August heat.
The event typically draws in more than 8,000 people, and organizers expect a similar turnout in the new venue this year.
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