HomeNews UpdateDolphin Derby raises funds for Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise | Local News
Dolphin Derby raises funds for Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise | Local News
July 16, 2024
Organized by the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise, Sunday’s Dolphin Derby Festival offered a day of lively entertainment and community spirit.
Visitors watched dolphin races, in which small, colorful dolphins raced down a 30-meter-long waterway in Chase Palm Park.
Participants adopted these dolphins by donating to the cause and had the chance to win cash and other prizes if their animal was one of the first to cross the finish line.
Chris Baxter releases another round of dolphins into the starting pool at Sunday’s Derby event. Each dolphin represents a $10 donation to the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise Foundation, which supports charitable projects in Santa Barbara and around the world. Credit: Sydney Hlavaty / Noozhawk Photo
Donations of $10 per dolphin will benefit local nonprofits and international humanitarian causes, the Rotary Club said.
The festival also featured live music, various food trucks, and a beer and wine garden.
Rotary Club members said the dolphins are reused each year and the racing water is recycled for each race on Derby day and then used to water the park’s lawn.
Spectators watch as the Dolphins’ first lap races down the course toward the end zone of Sunday’s derby. Credit: Sydney Hlavaty / Noozhawk PhotoDenny the dolphin welcomes the guests shortly before the start of the race. Credit: Sydney Hlavaty / Noozhawk PhotoThe winning dolphin of the first race of the day. Credit: Sydney Hlavaty / Noozhawk PhotoFrom left to right: Angelique Davis, Tina Ballue, Rotary Club President Ellen Chase, Sandra O’Meara and Michelle Seagraves begin adopting dolphins for the 1:30 p.m. race at Sunday’s Derby. Credit: Sydney Hlavaty / Noozhawk Photo