Clayton News Daily

By Johnny Jackson

jjackson@henryherald.com

The Rock Ranch, the personal ranch of Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy, will host its 10th annual "Celebrate America" event June 27.

"Each year, Celebrate America gets more exciting," said Jeff Manley, general manager of The Rock Ranch in Barnesville. "There are many new additions to this year's event, including The Great American Duck Derby."

The Great American Duck Derby is a rubber duck race fund-raiser, which will benefit Stepping Stones. Stepping Stones is a regional non-profit educational therapy center, founded in 1990 to serve both special-needs and regular-education children.

"We are thrilled to have been asked to join Celebrate America and are looking forward to floating our rubber ducks in Hopeful Beaver Creek at The Rock Ranch," said Harry Burkhalter, a Stepping Stones board member.

The Rock Ranch, located at 5020 Barnesville Highway, will open its gates at 2 p.m., on June 27. The entry fee is $20 per family vehicle. The admission price includes access to all standard attractions and entertainment. The entry fee for buses is $30.

Attractions at Celebrate America will include a rock-climbing wall, train rides, hay rides, cow train rides, pony rides, an 18-foot slide, a petting zoo, paddle boats, a paintball shooting range, and fireworks.

"This rubber duck race is fun and interactive and it adds a great new dimension to Celebrate America," said Adam Pugh, event coordinator for The Rock Ranch. "Beyond providing wholesome family entertainment, celebrating freedom in America is helping raise money to benefit children with special needs."

Guests can adopt multiple ducks at $5 each for their chance at the $5,000 first prize, said Tina Grubbs, a spokeswoman for Stepping Stones. If the number of the first-place duck matches the number that is randomly selected before the race by the facilitator's computer, the winner wins $1 million.

Grubbs said participants do not have to be present to win and ducks may be pre-adopted by visiting the Stepping Stones web site.

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On the net:

Stepping Stones:

www.steppingstonesschool.org