The 2024 Newtown Lions Club Great Pootatuck River Duck Race will be held Saturday, June 8, from 11 am until 3 pm in Sandy Hook Center. The activities will be centered around Heritage Park, behind Foundry Kitchen & Tavern and Sandy Hook Café at 7 Glen Road.

Raffle tickets will remain $5 each and will be available as of April 5. Sales will continue through June 7 at local businesses and online via newtownlions.org.

Weekend outdoor ticket sales will be held at varying locations as posted weekly on the Newtown Lions Club (CT) Facebook page. On-site weekend sales will begin April 13-14. Newtown Lions Club member Steve Stolfi told The Newtown Bee this week that opening weekend sales are planned at Dunkin Donuts, 6 Queen Street; Hawleyville Wine & Liquor, 23 Barnabas Road; Tractor Supply Company, 116 South Main Street; and Yankee Wine & Spirits, 6 Queen Street.

Each uniquely numbered duck race raffle ticket corresponds to one of thousands of uniquely numbered rubber ducks that will “dive” into the Pootatuck River from the Church Hill Road bridge around 2:30 pm on June 8. Holders of tickets corresponding to the first twenty rubber ducks to cross the finish line will win prizes.

This year’s grand prize is a weekend getaway at the gorgeous Manor House Inn in Norfolk plus $450 in spending money.

All proceeds from the Duck Race will benefit charities for the blind and vision impaired.

Lion Duck Race committee member Kevin Corey commented, “Newtown and Sandy Hook businesses play a vital role in supporting this important Lions fundraiser. The following local businesses donated prizes: Barnwood Restaurant, Berkshire Motors, Blue Colony Diner, Butcher’s Best, Cover Two Grill, Edmond Town Hall Theatre, Gino’s Pizza Parlor of Sandy Hook, Jewel of Himalaya Restaurant, Landau Team @RE/MAX Right Choice, The Little Theatre, Marketplace Restaurant, My Place Restaurant, Newtown Bee, Newtown Dry Cleaners, Porco Karate Academy, Sabrina Style women’s formal wear, Sal e Pepe’s Restaurant, Sandy Hook Diner, Sugo Restaurant, Superior Cleaners, Tambascio’s Restaurant, The Villa Restaurant, Total Mortgage, and The Toy Tree.

“The following businesses are helping by selling tickets and/or allowing Lions Club members to sell tickets at their locations: Bagel Delight, Berkshire Motors, Booth Library, Butcher’s Best, Carminuccio’s Pizza & Subs, Cork-n-Barrel Liquor Store, Dunkin, Earth Day Event, Franco’s Pizza, Hawleyville Liquor Store, Joanne Fitness Studio, My Place Restaurant, Newtown Hardware Store, Pizza Palace, PJs Laundromat, Queen Street Cleaners, Sandy Hook Café, Sandy Hook Diner, Sandy Hook Liquor Store, The General Store, Toy Tree, Tractor Supply Store, WHIP Salon-Sandy Hook and Yankees Wine & Spirits. We appreciate all this great community support,” Corey added.

This year’s event is being co-chaired by Bob Schmidt and Arnie Berman. Schmidt, who has chaired this event since 2008, still gets excited about the duck race.

“The event is so much more than just the dropping of the ducks. It is a town carnival for all ages with many vendors and community groups exhibiting with free activities for children such as a bounce house, a giant slide, mini golf, and a bean bag toss,” he said.

The event begins at 11 am and features live entertainment including dance exhibitions and local musicians performing, and low-cost duck-themed souvenirs.

Interested community groups, vendors, and exhibitors may contact Schmidt at serenitysh@yahoo.com or 203-426-1222.

Information about Newtown Lions and other community service projects is available at newtownlions.org.