ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, June 27, 1996 TAG: 9606270038
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-7 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: PULASKI
Since the Depot Days Festival last weekend, Pulaski Business Alliance President Pat Gooch has gotten to play Ed McMahon to local residents.
Gooch has made surprise calls to seven people with the news that their rubber ducks crossed the finish line as winners in the festival's dollar ducks race last weekend.
"People answer on the phone and they just crack up laughing," she said. "I'll get like a mother who didn't know a daughter had invested a dollar."
In past years when the marked rubber ducks have been placed in Peak Creek for the race, winners have been on hand to see if the duck they bought was among the winners. But this year, none of the winners was present when their ducks floated to victory.
Merchants and businesses had been selling the rubber ducks at $1 each and marking them with the names of their purchasers for the race.
Danny Love of Pulaski won the top prize of $150 with a first-place duck, followed by Ellen Shomaker, Pulaski, whose duck brought her a $75 prize, and Frank Kasik IV, $50.
First American, NationsBank, Signet and Community National banks each contributed $50 savings certificates to the next four duck winners: Ashlee Hamblin and Jarrett Kitts, both of Dublin, and Mike Hoback and Ricky Boyd Sr., both Pulaski.
The Artrain during Depot Days drew more than 4,000 visitors, and the Airmobile, more than 2,000.
LENGTH: Short : 35 linesby CNB