Coastal Horizons Center, Inc. is hosting the Inaugural Coastal Duck Derby on May 30 at Jungle Rapids Water Park to benefit the Open House Emergency Youth Shelter & Residential Services. The first event of its kind in Wilmington, the Duck Derby promises a fun spectacle of thousands of rubber ducks racing down the water slide and into the lazy river. What’s more, 100 percent of the proceeds will support children living in our community who have experienced great adversity in their young lives.

Open House is Wilmington’s only emergency shelter for abused, neglected and at-risk youth who need a temporary safe place to call home during a family crisis. A nine-bed emergency shelter, Open House provides meals, clothing, educational and vocational activities, and recreational opportunities for youth in a safe and supportive environment. A team of caring and compassionate residential counselors is available to tend to the needs of the youth 24 hours a day. Through free clinical counseling, educational support and life-skill building activities, Open House helps youth improve family relationships, develop healthy habits, and make progress towards positive goals. For children ages 6 to 18 who have had an uncertain or unstable home life, Open House is a place to feel safe and secure and get back to just being kids again.

Likewise, families whose children we shelter are also provided services at Coastal Horizons Center, Inc. as needed. From substance use disorder counseling and mental health support, to intensive in-home therapy and other behavioral health treatments, Coastal Horizons Center, Inc. is uniquely capable of addressing the needs of the family unit. By supporting the entire family, balance is restored in the life of the child. 

Remarkably, emergency shelter services, including clinical counseling, are offered to youth and their families at no cost to them. By keeping these children safe and providing them with a stable environment, we are building a safer community for all. 

This is an example of why social scientists confidently say that for every $1 spent on prevention and treatment efforts, an estimated $7 is saved in medical, law enforcement, judicial and other social costs.

Here is how YOU can help:

The Coastal Duck Derby needs lots of “quacker backers” to adopt the rubber duckies that will race down the Jungle Rapids’ water slide on May 30. You can be an individual sponsor or form a team of to adopt a Lonely Duck, a Quack Pack, a Quackers Dozen, or a whole Flock of Ducks! 

The festivities on Saturday, May 30 are free and include entertainment and kids’ events, starting at 6 p.m. The ducks will race around 7 p.m.

As you consider adopting a Lonely Duck or even a Flock of Ducks, remember that every duck adopted will directly benefit children living away from home due to no fault of their own. You can make their experience at Open House a little better with every duck that you adopt.
 
For more information and to adopt your ducks, please visit www.coastalduckderby.org or go to https://youtu.be/Q3tYzmO8ouw to watch a short video about the event.

Coastal Horizons Center, Inc. is a local private non-profit agency lead by President and CEO, Margaret Weller-Stargell that promotes choices for healthier lives and safer communities by providing a continuum of professional services for crisis intervention, sexual assault survivors, criminal justice alternatives, and prevention and treatment of substance use and mental health disorders. Coastal Horizons Center is the largest private, non-profit human services agency headquartered in Wilmington and serves the 53 counties of Eastern North Carolina. For more information, please call 910-790-0187 or email[email protected].