SHAMOKIN - The Brush Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce's Community Wellness Committee has once again partnered with the Shamokin Creek Restoration Alliance (SCRA) for the annual railroad motor car visit and duck drop race on Sunday.
The North American Railcar Operators Association (NARCOA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and safe, legal operation of railroad equipment historically used for maintenance, will be downtown from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. to showcase its "speeder cars." NARCOA has more than 1,800 members worldwide.
At 12:30 p.m., wellness committee members and representatives from SCRA will drop rubber ducks into the Shamokin Creek behind Original Italian Pizza along Water Street. The race ends a few blocks downstream just east of Claude Kehler Community Park along Arch Street.
Tickets to "buy" a duck number are $5 and can be purchased in the chamber office, from a chamber board member, a wellness committee member or at Beverly's Flowers, 9 E. Independence St. Tickets will also be sold the day of the race along Independence Street in front of the Shamokin Post Office.
There will be cash prizes of $300 for first, $200 for second and $100 for third, and fourth and fifth place ticket-holders will win baskets. Winners do not have to be present.
New this year will be larger inflatable ducks with sponsors names, and the chamber is also selling small "Cutie Duck Jr.'s" to the public.
Proceeds will support the chamber's efforts throughout the year.
Also Sunday, the Shamokin-Coal Township Heritage Museum, part of the American Legion building that also houses the Shamokin-Coal Township Public Library, will be open from noon to 3 p.m.
SCRA President Jim Koharski and other SCRA volunteers will help fish out the rubber ducks. SCRA members frequently hear from people living near streams saying they see an improvement in the stream's water. Mother Nature and SCRA's treatment ponds and wetland enhancements are working together to make this happen by removing metals, sediment and acidity from the streams. The recent stormwater and sewer separation projects by municipalities all the way from Conyngham Township to Sunbury are also making a difference, SCRA reports.
In addition to SCRA, sponsors for the duck drop are Leanne and Nick Bjorklund, Harry Morgan, First National Bank of PA, Family Home Medical, Vote Sandy Winhofer for Northumberland County Treasurer, M&T Bank, Shamokin Aikido, The Center for Movement Arts and VNA Health Systems.