Ducks Unlimited banquet gearing up

The 19th-annual Ducks Unlimited banquet is coming up here April 27 and local DU chair Barney Maher already is confident it will be a success.
“People should get their tickets now,” he stressed. “The last two years, the event has been sold out two weeks prior to the banquet.”
In fact, Maher said the 200 tickets printed up have been selling steadily since they went on sale late last week.
As an added incentive to get your tickets before April 6, a Westminster mantle clock is being raffled off as the early-bird prize.
Crafted from American hardwood with a gently sweeping tambour shape and decorative molding at the base, the seven-inch tall clock’s face features the DU logo with a brass-finished, hinged bezel.
It can be seen at Cousineau Brokers on Scott Street, where tickets are being sold.
Tickets cost $45 each, or $70 for a couple.
“If ticket purchasers wish to reserve a table, they may do so by buying a table of 10 tickets,” noted Maher. “To hold a table, full payment must be made at the time of purchase.”
Maher once again promised a full spectrum of live and silent auctions at the banquet, as well as many prizes for the “Pyramid Raffle,” door prizes, and the popular “pick an item from the DU catalogue” draw.
“I think we’ve got about 50 items for the live auction, and over 60 for the silent [one],” he said.
Maher noted almost two dozen local artists and carvers are donating their artwork to the event. And several outfitters also have donated trips for the live auction.
This year’s “mystery print” is by a “well-known Canadian artist,” said Maher, and has been donated by the local branch of the CIBC. Last year’s mystery print was a Robert Bateman piece which fetched $1,175.
“It’s a good cause–it’s for wetlands conservation,” Maher said of the banquet. “We encourage any interested people who want to make a contribution to the cause to come on out.
“I know its going to be a good time.”
Last year’s banquet grossed close to $50,000.