Tickets for the Seventh Annual Shop With A Cop Duck Derby fundraiser went on sale Tuesday, July 1, and people can pick them up right now by stopping into the Blairsville Police Department or the Union County Sheriff’s Office. Residents can ask officers about tickets, too!
As always, 100% of fundraiser proceeds will go toward the Shop With A Cop for Christmas Program in December. A good way to think of the effort is, for each ticket people buy, really, they’re buying a Christmas present for a local child.
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At just $10 apiece, tickets will remain on sale up until the start of the race on Saturday, Aug. 30, which is when Blairsville PD, UCSO and other volunteers will drop as many rubber ducks as tickets sell – last year it was 3,200 – into Butternut Creek at the Union County Farmers Market.
The Christmas program turns 25 this year, and Police Chief Michael “Bear” Baxter is hopeful that community members will continue to contribute as in past years to the Duck Derby, the only organized fundraiser for Blairsville Shop With A Cop.
Baxter is thankful that derby support has grown so much over time, directly corresponding with growth for Shop With A Cop as well, which is most welcome since the program incurs greater costs every Christmas due to stubborn annual inflation.
Just last year, the program enabled dozens of volunteers – represented by area law enforcement, churches, civic groups and simply individuals with big hearts – to take 150 well-deserving children shopping to fill the space beneath Christmas trees for 79 local families.
This is actually one of the biggest Shop With A Cop programs in the state, all thanks to the generous contributions people make both year-round and at derby time.
“It’s gotten bigger and bigger every year,” Baxter said of the derby. “It’s because of the businesses and the civic groups and just our community who supports us to make this thing happen.
“This is not about us; it’s about helping our community, and our community being all-in on supporting what we do with this fundraiser.”
And while the Duck Derby is ultimately all about the kids, there’s always something in it for ticket purchasers. Each year, local businesses jump at the chance to donate prizes for such a worthy cause, which in 2024 translated to 151 prizes being awarded.
The Top 3 race placers earn cash, and the next 100-plus winning ducks bring anything from gift certificates to nice items and even gift baskets. The last duck to cross the finish line, aka the “Lame Duck,” comes with a gas grill prize courtesy of Home Depot in Blairsville.
From an agency perspective, Baxter sees the derby and beneficiary Christmas program as efforts by the larger local law enforcement family, including the Union County Sheriff’s Office, School Police Department, state agencies that work here and volunteers from neighboring jurisdictions.
“Any of us can attest that Shop With A Cop is the best thing that we do all year,” Baxter said. “Since we started this program 25 years ago, we’ve taken close to 3,000 kids Christmas shopping. We’re pretty proud of that.”
Sheriff Shawn Dyer concurs. As the former assistant chief at Blairsville PD, Dyer has played an integral role in shepherding Shop With A Cop over the years, be it through program coordination or getting out the word on fundraising.
“I’ll continue to support it forever because I’ve seen what it does for the families of those kids to be able to get a Christmas when, a lot of times, they may not get anything,” Sheriff Dyer said.
New in 2025, Blairsville PD is accepting donations and ticket purchases via Venmo using a QR code, making online payments a cinch. The department asks that people buying tickets through Venmo provide a name and phone number at time of purchase to keep track of who gets the tickets.
And the derby is currently accepting additional prize donations: “If you’re a local business and would like to donate a prize for this race, contact our office at the Blairsville Police Department, and we’ll make arrangements to meet with you and pick up your donation.”
Blairsville PD is open weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. at 96 Blue Ridge Street and can be reached at 706-835-1692. The Sheriff’s Office is located at 378 Beasley Street in Blairsville.
