It was a little warm, but the skies were bright and sunny as crowds of families milled about at Deadhorse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood Saturday, Sept. 26.
Typically it costs money to get into the park but this particular Saturday was the 27th annual Verde River Day.
While there was food and fun, there was also a chance to win prize money. The Kiwanis Club was selling chances for the rubber duck race. The club used to host the race in the river, but organizers realized that some of the ducks weren’t making it back home.
To avoid contributing to polluting the Verde River on the day that’s centered on doing the exact opposite, the race is held in a smaller nearby ditch. The ducks have numbers on the bottom and whichever duck won would earn its sponsor $1,000. The rest of the money will be used to provide scholarships for high school students in the Verde Valley.
“It’s a really great program,” Carrie King said while tracking down more people to purchase chances.
Karen Pfeifer, Cottonwood’s vice mayor who also works with the chamber of commerce, was sitting in the shade helping provide information to visitors.
“It’s been pretty great so far,” Pfeifer said. “It’s all about the river.”
She said that fans of poisonous snakes might end up disappointed, as a planned exhibit was canceled.
The bounce house was a popular draw as people casually fished and rowed in a nearby lagoon. Around noon Saturday the Jerome Ukulele Orchestra played on stage.
Part of all the reason for the fun is to draw out as many people to hear about the importance of caring for the river. Education has long been a focus of groups that work to protect the Verde River.
To read the full story, see the Wednesday, Sept. 30, edition of The Camp Verde Journal.
