Farmington Crew Holds Duck Race, Rowing for Pieces Fundraisers

The Farmington High School Crew Team has come a long way since it began in 2002 with two shells and a few dozen members. The team now has 12 shells, over 120 members, five coaches and a boathouse on the Farmington River, all achieved through fundraising and donations.

On Mother’s Day, hundreds of supporters came out to watch one of the major fundraisers that has fueled the team's growth, the annual Duck Race, held just before the start of the Middle of the Farmington Regatta.

The team has been selling tickets for the race since March. Each $5 ticket bears a number which is also affixed to a rubber duck, explained Friends of Farmington Crew members Tom Parker and Phil Lombardo.

Fundraising organizer Darlene Cirilli said “After expenses, the team realizes about $18,000 from this fundraiser. We thank the town for all their support.” Prizes are $1,000 Visa gift card for First Place; $500 for 2nd Place; $250. For 3rd Place; $150 for 4th Place; $100. For 5th Place and  $50. For 6th Place.

4,500 yellow rubber ducks were dropped from boats into a holding pen, where the current and wind mixed them up before the 11:30 a.m. release into the 500 foot long race track created by placing booms just off the bank of the river.

“Keeping the track straight is the hardest part,” explained Scott Loveland, FOFC president.

Wind and the river's current moved most of the ducks along swiftly. At 11:51 a.m. the winning duck was pulled from the water.

After the race Cirilli and other volunteers scooped out all the thousands of ducks. “The crew team will clean and sort them. We bag them in groups of 250 and store them for next year’s race,” she explained.

Dr. Laura Butterfield, Farmington Crew Boy’s coach for the past eight years said “the support the Crew team has received from the community is absolutely amazing. When the Farmington Crew team was first started, we used whatever boats we could get. Now, thanks to the fantastic fundraising efforts led by Darlene Cirilli and the tremendous support we are getting from the community, we are able to buy boats such as the one we are launching today. Now we are getting boats that are sized correctly for men and women. This will make the team so much more competitive.” A new boat costs about $35,000.

“Farmington Crew is now one of the largest and most successful public school crew teams in the state” Butterfield added.

The new boat is also a part of the team's community service.

“This year we are launching a new initiative, Rowing for Pieces, presented by Farmington Bank to support Autism Speaks as well as purchase a new crew shell. Since 1 in 67 boys and 1 in 110 children are on the autism spectrum, many of the team members have family members or know of people affected by this underpublicized and underfunded disorder,” Cirilli said.

The team has sold 37 puzzle pieces so far, which have been placed on the new boat, and will continue the sale until 130 pieces have been bought. Throughout the 2011 rowing season, the team will partner with the Autism Speaks Society to host a tent named “Rowing for Pieces” at all of their regattas. The tent will serve as a distribution point for educational materials, and puzzle pieces will be available for purchase as well. Pieces can also be purchased by downloading this form from the team website.

For more information, contact Darlene Cirilli at 860.559.4575.