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r N. Our Community is Quackers for a Good Race If one rubber duck can make bath time fun, imagine how much fun it is to watch 4,000 rubber ducks race across a lake. The Ducktona Dash Road Race and Festival, hosted annually by Cabarrus County Active Living and Parks at Frank Liske Park, does just that. The June 6 event began with 221 participants navigating park trails in the Hendrick Toyota Scion of Concord 5K/10K/Fun Run/Walk. While participants made their way through the course, Cabarrus Meals on Wheels dropped 4,000 rubber ducks in the nine -acre pond. The community purchases ducks in the weeks leading up to the festival, with proceeds supporting Meals on Wheels. As part of their registration, road race participants received one complimentary duck. In return, each duck represented a chance to win prizes. This year, the fastest duck, and the $750 cash prize that came with the title, belonged to Rachel Mueller, a 13 - year -old who also participated in the road race. After the races, the 1,200 attendees enjoyed a beau- tiful day in the park, snacked on delicious food, played games and meandered through a village of tents that housed nearly 50 vendors. Half -day Camps are a Total Success Cabarrus County Active Living and Parks challenged employees to find new ways to provide exciting programming to accommodate tight budgets and limited staff hours. This summer, half -day camps were introduced as a solution. The three -hour camp sessions take place two or three days a week (based on age). Children ages 3 -7 can participate in a program on bugs and beasties. Children ages 8 -13 can participate in a skill -based camp on kayaking or adventure. While on -site, campers participate in other park activities, including paddle - boats, natural play areas, disc golf, geocaching and more. Since the department based the programs on activities that already exist in the park, Cabarrus was able to bring in ample revenue and still keep ses- sion prices affordable for parents. In its first year, the half -day options filled to capacity and staff had to maintain a waitlist. "It's a great source of revenue and a wonderful service for the community," said program supervisor Alex Beck. "There is definitely a need for smaller, skill -based camps. In fact, we had to add camp sessions because they were filling up so quickly. We now see more ways to meet family needs and bring kids closer to nature." Attachment number 1 \n 1 -1 Page 389 V,r-y- +OhA