The Downtown Ducks with Richard Repp

Summary

Rotary Voices Podcast: "The Downtown Ducks with Rick Repp"

Release Date: January 21, 2025
Host: Rotary Magazine

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Introduction

In the January 21, 2025 episode of the Rotary Voices podcast titled "The Downtown Ducks with Rick Repp," host Jeff Johnson engages in an inspiring conversation with Rick Repp, a lawyer and member of the Rotary Club of Spokane. The episode delves into Rick's heartfelt journey of preserving a beloved local story through his newly published children's book, The Downtown Ducks. This summary captures the essence of their discussion, highlighting key points, insightful reflections, and the impactful conclusions drawn by Rick.

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The Viral Story of Joel and the Ducks

The episode opens with Andy Choi recounting the charming story that captivated Spokane and garnered international attention. In the spring of 2008, a duck named Mama Duck nested outside a bank in downtown Spokane, leading to the hatching of ten ducklings. Joel Armstrong, a loan officer, and his colleagues took exceptional care of the vulnerable ducklings as they made their way to the Spokane River, ensuring their safety despite the challenges posed by their inability to fly. This remarkable act of kindness was featured prominently in England's Daily Mail and appeared twice on Good Morning America and World News.

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Rick Repp's Inspiration and Motivation

Rick Repp reflects on the enduring impact of Joel’s actions and the unforgettable story of the Downtown Ducks. Motivated by his mother's influence and his passion for literacy, Rick sought to immortalize the story in a children's book. At [03:00], Rick shares:

"I set out to preserve the story. This is the first time that I've ever put together a book like this. I did it as a birthday present for my mother and also to preserve the story for my children and for my nephews and my niece."

Initially a private project, The Downtown Ducks began as a heartfelt gift to his family. However, as Rick shared the book on social media, the positive response encouraged him to explore publishing options, leading to its official release in 2023 through Sunshine Idaho Publishing.

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Collaboration and Creation Process

Rick emphasizes the collaborative nature of the book's creation, highlighting the contributions of his mother and daughter. At [06:02], he explains:

"I did the pen and ink drawings and then she and my daughter helped color them because my mother had gotten into the trend of using colored pencils for coloring books."

This joint effort not only resulted in a beautifully illustrated book but also served as a meaningful activity that bridged generations despite his mother's health challenges following a stroke in 2018.

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Impact on Family and Community

Presenting the finished book to his mother was a poignant moment for Rick. At [07:06], he recounts her emotional reaction:

"She was super pleased... Smile and laughter and tears all mixed together. She said, you know, it was one of the best birthday presents ever received."

Beyond personal fulfillment, Rick’s book resonated with a broader audience. Initially shared among family, the demand grew organically, leading to international sales, including a copy sold in Germany.

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Fostering a Love for Reading

A central theme of the conversation revolves around childhood literacy and the importance of fostering a lifelong love for reading. Rick shares his own experiences, attributing his passion for reading to his parents' encouragement. At [08:41], he reflects:

"Reading was a window to the world. I became a voracious reader and really enjoyed basically anything I can get my hands on."

With The Downtown Ducks, Rick aspires to inspire the next generation, especially in an era dominated by digital entertainment. He articulates his mission at [12:17]:

"I'm hoping that this is one more tool that teachers and parents can use to inspire a love of reading and help kids embrace books."

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Alignment with Rotary's Literacy Initiatives

Rick’s efforts align seamlessly with Rotary International's commitment to promoting literacy. He highlights the Rotary Club of Spokane's initiatives, such as funding a local bookmobile, at [15:08]:

"One of the projects that the Spokane Rotary Club is proud of is we provided the funding for a local bookmobile that takes books around to children so they can check them out."

This partnership underscores the collaborative spirit of Rotary members in enhancing community literacy and providing accessible resources for children.

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Public Engagement and Reception

Rick recounts his serendipitous opportunity to present his book to the Rotary Club, which became one of the club's top-scoring programs. The presence of Joel Armstrong during the Q&A session added an authentic and heartfelt dimension to the presentation. At [16:29], Rick shares:

"He’s been one of my biggest fans as far as the book goes... It makes a good birthday present. It makes a good baby shower present."

The positive reception from both the Rotary members and the broader community underscores the universal appeal and emotional resonance of the Downtown Ducks story.

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Future Endeavors and Continuing the Legacy

When asked about potential future projects, Rick expresses a desire to continue sharing true stories of animal rescues that inspire and engage children. At [17:34], he states:

"I am keeping my eyes open for other true stories involving animal rescues... I don’t see myself transitioning careers to a children's book author per se, but I do think that I'm toying with an idea or two."

This openness to future projects emphasizes Rick's commitment to leveraging storytelling as a means to educate and inspire young readers.

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Conclusion

The episode concludes with Jeff Johnson praising Rick’s accomplishments and his dedication to both his family and the community. Rick expresses gratitude for the platform to share his story and the impact it has had on others. The conversation highlights the power of storytelling in fostering literacy, the importance of community support, and the enduring legacy of acts of kindness like those of Joel Armstrong and his ducklings.

For more inspiring stories and to participate in Rotary initiatives, visit Rotary International.

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Notable Quotes:

• Rick Repp at [03:00]: "I set out to preserve the story... as a birthday present for my mother and also to preserve the story for my children and for my nephews and my niece."

• Rick Repp at [06:02]: "I did the pen and ink drawings and then she and my daughter helped color them because my mother had gotten into the trend of using colored pencils for coloring books."

• Rick Repp at [07:09]: "She was super pleased... one of the best birthday presents ever received."

• Rick Repp at [12:17]: "I'm hoping that this is one more tool that teachers and parents can use to inspire a love of reading and help kids embrace books."

• Rick Repp at [15:08]: "We provided the funding for a local bookmobile that takes books around to children so they can check them out."

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This summary encapsulates the heartfelt narrative and community impact discussed in the Rotary Voices podcast episode, offering insights into Rick Repp's journey of preserving a local legend and promoting literacy among children.

Transcript

[Sponsor]

This episode of the Rotary Voices Podcast is brought to you by Archaeological Paths. Explore Egypt with renowned archaeologists. Visit www.archaeologicalpaths.com for more information.

[Andy Choi]

Welcome to the Rotary Voices Podcast. I'm Andy Choi. In the spring of 2008, a duck landed on the second floor ledge outside a bank building in downtown Spokane, Washington. She built a nest and laid some eggs outside the window of Joel Armst, a loan officer. Over the next 30 days, Joel and his colleagues watched the duck as she sat atop her eggs until they hatched and 10 little ducklings appeared. When the time came for the ducklings to leave the nest and head for the nearby Spokane River, Mama Duck flew down to the sidewalk and waited for her baby ducks to follow. One problem at that early age, ducklings can't fly. And the first baby duck that jumped down after her mother bounced on the sidewalk. Don't worry. The duckling was stun, but it survived. Joel rushed downstairs and managed to catch each of the nine other ducks and usher them and their mother down to the river. The story of Joel and the ducks went viral and garnered international attention. Spokane's daring ducks and the man who.

[Jeff Johnson]

Helped them make it to the river from an entryway roof are gaining worldwide fame. In fact, this is the front page.

[Andy Choi]

Of England's Daily Mail. The story of a mild, mannered Spokane banker saving the day for a dozen ducklings was on Good Morning America and World News twice.

[Jeff Johnson]

Finally tonight, a bit of an update.

[Andy Choi]

When Mama Duck returned a year later to build a new nest and hatch more ducklings, the camera crews were there to document the whole scene. That included following Joel, Momma Duck and the new brood of ducklings as they made their way through Spokane's big annual Lilac Parade on the way to the river. After returning for a third year, the mallard found somewhere else to nest, and the saga of Joel and the ducklings faded away. But Rick Repp, who had watched firsthand as events unfolded, couldn't get the story out of his head. A lawyer and a member of the Rotary Club of Spokane, Rick concocted a plan that would not only preserve the story, but promote childhood literacy and honor his mother, who had inspired his lifelong love of reading and art. The result of all of this was a charming new children's book called the Downtown Ducks. Rotary magazine senior editor Jeff Johnson sits down with Rick Rhep recently to discuss the stories behind the book.

[Jeff Johnson]

Rick, thanks for joining us today at Rotary Voices Podcast. We're going to talk today about your wonderful new children's book, the Downtown Ducks. But Rick, this All happened, as you said, almost 15 years ago. Why did it take you so long to actually produce this lovely book we have today?

[Sponsor]

Well, I'm not an author, and so it was just a really big story at the time, and I always thought it would make for a great children's story. So I set out to preserve the story. This is the first time that I've ever put together a book like this. I am a lawyer, and I spent a lot of time writing and reading, but I just never really had a motivation or reason to do this until I decided to create it primarily as a birthday present for my mother and also to preserve the story for my children and for my nephews and my niece. And so it's just one of those things that I'd been toying with over the years. And I finally got motivated to do it when we had a long winter a couple winters ago, and I decided that I wanted to do something special for my mom's birthday.

[Jeff Johnson]

And as you mentioned, your earliest readers were your relatives, your mother, your daughter, your nephews, and your niece. How did the book make the transition from a book that was handed around and privately printed for your relatives to the book we have today, which was published in 2023 by Sunshine Idaho Publishing?

[Sponsor]

Yeah, so it's actually been over a year ago now. It was August 17th of last year that I presented it to my mother on her birthday. And I initially started out just creating six copies using Shutterfly. I had a copy to give her on her birthday. My nephew's birthday was on the same day. And so that was the initial start of this little project was just the family copies I created a year. But I shared on Facebook, a lot of people said they wanted a copy, and it was a little bit more, a little bit more than I expected. And just getting these books printed using Shutterfly was pretty expensive. And so I started looking into publishing options, and I found another local author that has published a number of children's books. She used to be one of my coworkers at a former law firm. She had created her own publishing company in Idaho to publish her series of children's books. And so she was the one that helped me get connected with Ingram, which is the big book distributor that you kind of need to be connected with if you want to be able to have your book available for bookstores and libraries, et cetera. So she was the one that was able to help me get online with the book distributors. Prior to that, my online presence consisted of me telling friends and family that I would Send them copies on Facebook. And then my wife actually has an Etsy shop that she's been running for about seven years. That's actually her full time business. And she was also selling the book on her website, Mod Shop Kids. Like I said, I never intended it to be published for the public. That wasn't what I set out to do. But it just sort of one thing leads to another and now it's selling around the world. I've recently sold a copy in Germany. It's kind of fun that it's taken on a life of its own.

[Jeff Johnson]

That's wonderful. Rick, you wrote the book, but you had help with the colorful illustrations from your mother Mary and your daughter Anya.

[Sponsor]

Yes, that's correct. Well, the main reason I was doing this was as a present to my mom, but it was also as a project to do with my mom. Unfortunately, my mother had a serious stroke back in 2018 and she's still in a wheelchair with her left side paralyzed. And throughout my childhood, she was a fairly prolific amateur artist. Indulged in watercolor paintings and oil paintings and did a lot of illustrations for a lot of different school projects. So this was something that we could work on together. I did the pen and ink drawings and then she and my daughter helped color them because my mother had gotten into trending thing among some of her and her friends to use colored pencils for coloring books. It's become an adult thing these days and so that was something that she was into and enjoyed. And so I thought it'd be fun if I created some pictures for her to color as a project that we could do together. So she and my daughter helped color the pictures with colored pencil and then I assemble it together into a hardbound book to deliver to her for her birthday.

[Jeff Johnson]

What was your mother's reaction when you presented her with the finished book?

[Sponsor]

Oh, she was super pleased. Yeah. Smile and laughter and tears all mixed together. She said, you know, it was one of the best birthday presents ever received.

[Jeff Johnson]

Oh, that's lovely. As you mentioned, your mother was an amateur artist. And I understand your mother had a unique way of inspiring your own love of reading when you were a boy. Can you tell us about that?

[Sponsor]

My love for reading was really well fostered by both my parents. I have fond memories of my parents reading to me when I was little. My dad was a farmer, worked hard all day, but he'd come in and at night and after dinner we'd sit on the couch and he'd read me stories. And my mom was good about helping me learn to read. And as a reward for completing my first book that I read on my own cover to cover, as an incentive, she created these little paper train engine that had my photograph as the engineer. And then for my very first book that I read, she created a little train car that followed that she illustrated by hand the title of the book, the author, and then came up with a version of the COVID art. And she would create one of those for every single book that I read. I ended up putting those on my bedroom, and they ended up circling around my bedroom walls a couple times. And I just remember all the time and effort that she took to make reading inspiring and fun, and it really had a huge impact on my life. Now I read and write for a living as a lawyer, and I'm just super grateful for what she did to inspire a love of reading in my life as well as a love of art.

[Jeff Johnson]

Looking back on your childhood, what did books mean to you as a boy growing up on a farm in rural Washington state?

[Sponsor]

Yeah, I lived in the boonies out in the middle of nowhere, a little town of Endicott. You know, you can learn about all kinds of other places in the world and other kinds of ideas and other people, and books were a window to the world. I became a voracious reader and really enjoyed basically anything I can get my hands on. We were the people that went to the library once or twice a week on a regular basis and checked out the maximum number of books that they would let us. And reading was huge in our family.

[Jeff Johnson]

That's wonderful to hear, Rick, as you've mentioned, you've been a lawyer for, I think, 23 years now, but you originally aspired to be something else, Is that right?

[Sponsor]

When I was in high school, early junior high, high school, I wanted to be a cartoonist, and I was pretty serious about it. I started submitting cartoons to magazines when I was like, the freshman sophomore year in high school. I was constantly drawing, constantly checking out books about cartooning and the lives of other cartoonists and studying the art of cartooning. My dad at some point realized I was serious enough about it that he booked an appointment with me to come to Spokane and visit with Milt Prigge, who was the opinion editorial cartoonist for the local newspaper at that moment in time. And so I got to visit with him and his studio and learn more about the business of cartooning. And so it was something that I was seriously considering as a career. After my visit with Milt Prigge and learning more about sort of how difficult the business of Being a cartoonist is, and the livelihood of a cartoonist, the limited opportunities to make a living at it. Shortly after that, I switched gears and I actually applied to go to study architecture at college. And so I still had a love of drawing, and I went to college expecting to be an architect. And then one thing leads to another, and I shifted gears and changed my major and ended up graduating with a hotel restaurant management degree, thinking that I was going to design and still wanting to design hotels and restaurants. But I became a lawyer instead. During the past 20, 30 years, my use of drawing really went dormant. I didn't really have a reason to draw except for my children from time to time, and no one even knew that I could draw. So it's been kind of a fun surprise for a lot of people that this is something I came up with and something that I did. It shocked a lot of people, quite frankly.

[Jeff Johnson]

So I guess now that you've published the Downtown Ducks, we should start thinking of you as a lawyer and a cartoonist.

[Sponsor]

I like that if you have something that you dream about doing or you think about doing or that you want to do and you sort of procrastinate about, the best thing you can do is just jump in and do it. And it's such an incredible sense of satisfaction. So now, rather than being the lawyer who wanted to be a cartoonist, you know, maybe people remember me as the lawyer who was also a cartoonist.

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[Jeff Johnson]

Register [e-mail] the Downtown Docs is a lovely book, Rick. It's a wonderful keepsake for children. But in addition to charming children, you're hoping the book will have a larger impact, is that right?

[Sponsor]

This started off as a project for my mother, as a way to honor her, to thank her. And my second reason was to preserve the story and share it with my children and other younger family members. But as the book has sort of been so well received, I've really developed a third goal with this book. Now one of my cousins is a teacher, a third grade teacher back in South Carolina. I got to read the book to her classroom. Using zoom, I had a chance to read to a couple of local preschools at a summer camp, and just the opportunity to share a love of reading and to share a fun story that happens to be a true story that kids can really relate to, and they get excited about what's happening with the ducklings and the happy ending for the ducklings. I now really focused on helping spread a love of reading to the next generation. I'm grateful that Rotary views childhood literacy as an important project that it supports. And I see that as the next chapter for me to really provide this as a tool and an opportunity for parents and teachers that are out there trying to get kids excited about reading different books for different folks. You never know what book is really going to click with a child. I still remember my favorite book when I was a child, Are youe my mother? By P.D. salinger. I remember reading that book with my mother and laughing out loud, and she was laughing as we read it together, and it was a formative memory. And I'm hoping that this is one more tool that teachers and parents can use to inspire a love of reading and help kids embrace books. It's a challenging time because it's my own children, other people's children. I mean, everyone's glued to a screen. Everyone's got an iPad or a phone that they're watching videos and playing video games. And there's a desperate need for books that can inspire kids to read because there's a lot of competition right now. And yet I think reading's more important than ever.

[Jeff Johnson]

And you mentioned, too, that special bond between parents and their young children. I know it from my own experience. Reading with your kids when they're little, and sharing those books is a real foundation for a love of reading that hopefully will extend through the rest of their lives, for sure.

[Sponsor]

Yeah. And I think it's one of the most important things that any parent can do for any child, because reading's the foundation of all of our learning. It's hard to learn unless you can read, and it's hard to sort of open your eyes to the other opportunities in the world unless you have sort of that foundation.

[Jeff Johnson]

You also alluded to this, but as a member of the Rotary Club of Spokane, it's wonderful how your current aspiration aligns so wonderfully with their focus on inspiring and improving literacy among all ages.

[Sponsor]

Yeah. No, I mean, one of the projects that the Spokane Rotary Club is proud of is we provided the funding for a local bookmobile that takes books around to children so they can check them out. I think is due for some renovations. So, I mean, there's Just opportunities where as a club in community, we can gather together and sort of support some of these endeavors. And that's one of the things that I'm excited about, pitching in and helping with.

[Jeff Johnson]

I understand you had kind of serendipitous opportunity to speak to your own club about your book.

[Sponsor]

There was a gap in our program and I happened to serve on the program committee and we were going to use a substitute speaker when one of our other speakers canceled and one of my committee members said, well, why don't we have Rick tell the story of his book? And that ended up being a very successful presentation that was well received. We do a scoring of our programs, and it was one of the top scoring programs of the past year or so. And I think it was extra fun because I was able to get Joel Armstrong, the original Duck man himself, to join me on stage for the Q and A session and to share his perspective on why he was there and what it meant to him and answer questions from our members. And so it was super fun and I really appreciated the opportunity. I've appreciated Broderie's support as I share it.

[Jeff Johnson]

I was going to ask if you and Joel keep in touch. It's nice to hear that. In fact, you do.

[Sponsor]

Definitely. Yeah. No, he's been one of my biggest fans as far as the book goes. I think a fair number of his family members have received the book as a gift. It makes a good birthday present. It makes a good baby shower present. So I think a lot of his family members now have a book with their grandpa or their uncle, memorialized.

[Jeff Johnson]

And I have to say, having seen some of that footage from years ago watching him catch those ducklings. He catches every one of them. It's such a treat to see him do that and then to lead them down to the Spokane River.

[Sponsor]

Yeah, I think he used to be a baseball player, so he got a little. Be the good cat.

[Jeff Johnson]

He's got a real nice touch. Rick, I'm wondering, with the success you've had with the Downtown Ducks, if you've got any aspirations to write another book? And I'm also wondering, is an alliterative title a prerequisite? I'm thinking of something like the Seagull that Saved Spokane, maybe the Wandering Wolverines of Washington. Those are just a few suggestions. You're free to run with them. Any plans for a second book?

[Sponsor]

I'm surprised at how often I get that question, and I take it as a compliment. I guess people like the first book enough that they want to see what the second one looks like I am keeping my eyes open for other true stories involving animal rescues, and I don't see myself creating children's books for the sake of creating children's books. I don't see myself transitioning careers to a children's book author per se. That's not really my goal and intent, but I do think that I'm toying with an idea or two that might be a good follow up that involves people helping animals in need. So we'll see.

[Jeff Johnson]

Well, that's great, Rick. We look forward to reading that book and maybe talking with you again at that time. Again, so many thanks from us for talking with the Rotary Voices Podcast today and congratulations on the Downtown Ducks. It's a wonderful book for you and your family and I hope it does inspire that love of reading among children today that you're hoping it does.

[Sponsor]

Thank you. Well, and thank you for this opportunity to visit with you about it. It's a fun story to share and tell.

[Andy Choi]

This episode of the Rotary Voices Podcast was produced by JP Swenson and edited by Wen Huang, with production by Yoo Sue Kim. I'm Andy Choi. If you enjoyed the show, please rate us five stars on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and share it with your friends. The Rotary Voices Podcast is produced by Rotary Magazine, the official monthly publication of Rotary International. Thanks for listening.