A Thanksgiving tradition at Catawba, the annual Duck Draw, took place on campus Nov. 17 in the Leonard Lounge of the Cannon Student Center. The event, coordinated by Student Affairs and Residence Life staff members, is in its 12th year and thanks to its success this year, 100 local families will enjoy a Thanksgiving meal.

Since its inception and with the addition of this year’s meals, a total of 1,580 local families have received Thanksgiving dinners. Proceeds from the Duck Draw, along with funds raised through other fundraising projects undertaken by the Student Affairs and Residence Life staffs throughout the year, help underwrite the costs of providing the Thanksgiving meals.

As usual, Catawba President Brien Lewis randomly selected ducks from a plastic pool and handed them to staffers. Each plucked duck had a number displayed on its bottom that corresponded to the number on a $1 ticket purchased by a member of either the college community or the community at large. These numbers also corresponded to donated prizes from area merchants, ranging from haircuts to meals.

Now, Catawba staffers will work with local agencies to select deserving families who need assistance with a Thanksgiving meal. Meals, to be delivered just before Thanksgiving Day, include a 10-12 pound turkey, rice, cranberry sauce, green beans, corn, stuffing mix, a box of brownie mix and even a turkey baking pan.