City Celebrities Paddle for Leadership Gilroy

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Leadership Gilroy's first-annual Ducky Derby was a huge success– approximately 300 rubber ducks raced over the Bonfante Falls at Gilroy Gardens, with $20 from each $30 duck sponsorship going directly back to the program, said event emcee Jan Bernstein-Chargin.

But the day's racing wasn't over when the ducks were done: at the first-annual "Celebrity Paddle Boat Race," well-known names from throughout Gilroy took to to the paddle boat dock to duke it out for the duck-topped trophy.

In the end, it was a team including Walter Dunckel, Gilroy Gardens' director of operations and Leadership Gilroy graduate, that took the win out of six heats representing different groups from the city. 

"Thank you very much everyone," said Barb Granter, an emcee at the event and vice president at the park, "I think we raised a fair amount of money for this organization."

Attendees were able to purchase tickets to bet on the racers, wining the chance to pick prizes for themselves.

Leadership Gilroy, held annually since 1998, is a program that walks students through the myriad elements that constitute civic existence, including government and business.

Each class works towards a final project, including the that the current class is planning for this June.

Editor's note: Local Editor Eric Gneckow participated in this event.