On a cold Sunday afternoon in March, members of Newtown Lions set up their tables to begin selling tickets for the 18th Annual Great Pootatuck Duck Race, and customers showed up for the chance to be first in line. This year's big event will be Saturday, May 26.

Each raffle ticket has a number on it that corresponds to the number printed on the bottom of a yellow rubber duck. The ducks are put in a payloader and dumped over the bridge in Sandy Hook into the Pootatuck River. They "swim" down the river to the finish line.

The first 20 ducks to cross the finish line win a prize. First prize this year is $2,000 cash; second prize is a $500 weekend getaway, courtesy Norcom Mortgage Force; third prize is a three-month membership to Porco Karate; fourth prize is a $300 Apple store gift card; and fifth prize is a handmade Icelandic Lopi wool afghan and pillow.

Other prizes include gift certificates to local restaurants and stores in Sandy Hook and Newtown.

In addition to the race, there are lots of booths, food, and activities for the whole family to enjoy. Duck Race raffle tickets are $5. Admission to the festival itself is free.

Tickets will continue to be sold through race day. On Fridays, Lions Club members will be set up at locations including Carminuccio's Pizza, Franco's Pizza, Hawleyville Plaza, My Place Restaurant, and Pizza Palace. On Saturdays they will be at Bagel Delight, Blue Colony Diner, Butcher's Best, Dodgingtown Market, Newtown Deli & Catering, Newtown General Store, Newtown Hardware, and Stop & Shop. And on Sundays they will be at Blue Colony Diner and Yankee Wine & Liquor.

Ongoing ticket sales will also be at the following locations: Bagel Delight, Berkshire Motors, C.H. Booth Library, Cork n' Barrel, Dodgingtown Liquor Store, Fun Kuts, Joanne Fitness Studio, Newtown Parks and Rec, Nick's Chilled & Distilled, PJ's Laundromat, Queen Street Cleaners, Newtown Municipal Center (Tax Collector's Office), Sandy Hook Deli & Catering, Sandy Hook Diner, The Toy Tree, Yankee Wine, Village Perk Cafe, and Your Healthy Pet.

Final tickets will also be sold on race day. All proceeds go to charity.

For additional information, visit newtownlions.org.

[naviga:img class="aligncenter wp-image-312973" src="https://newtownbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Duck-Race-first-announcement-Hartgraves-L-B-Soter.jpg" alt="Duck Race first announcement -- Hartgraves & L & B Soter" width="800" height="600" /]

Cheryl Hartgraves, left, purchased some of the first tickets for this year's Great Pootatuck Duck Race, sold by Newtown Lions Club members Linda and Bill Soter outside Stop & Shop on Sunday, March 25.

-Sue Corey photo

Time To Lose The Winter Litter

Newtown Lions Club will conduct the annual Lose the Litter Day on Saturday, April 28, in conjunction with the 11th Newtown Annual Earth Day Festival.

Residents are encouraged to join Lions Club members during the Newtown Earth Day Festival (taking place from 10 am to 4 pm); Lose the Litter assignments will be offered from 9 am until 1 pm. Find the club's booth at the festival, on the front lawn of Newtown Middle School, 11 Queen Street, and Lions will have garbage bags and disposable gloves for those who want to pick them up.

Residents can sign up to clean an area of their choosing or select a location that needs a little TLC. Individuals, family groups, community groups, and businesses are all welcome and encouraged.

To register in advance for a location, contact Mr Nanavaty, chair of Lose The Litter, at 203-426-2116 or

gnanavaty@nndcpa.com.

[naviga:img class="aligncenter wp-image-312974" src="https://newtownbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Lose-The-Litter-first-announcement-OGrady-Walczak-Nanavaty.jpg" alt="Lose The Litter first announcement -- O'Grady, Walczak & Nanavaty" width="500" height="668" /]

Lions Club member Dan O'Grady, President Bruce Walczak, and Lose The Litter Chair Glenn Nanavaty, during  the 2017 Newtown Earth Festival. The local Lions Club will again sponsor a townwide effort to clean the roadways of trash and litter that has been piling up in recent months.