Stuffed duck adds Alaska to his ever-growing passport for St. Jude

WASILLA — Mr. Vanderquack, a duck stuffed with plenty of cotton and plenty of warm memories with Jeep owners, or “Jeepers” across the country recently made his way through Alaska, snapping plenty of photos while raising awareness and donations to go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Jeep Girls of Alaska hosted Mr. Vanderquack during his travels across the Last Frontier, including the Valley’s own Reindeer Farm.

“It’s everything that’s good about Jeepers. I was just thrilled to help support it. It was fun, and it’s being done in a very creative way. It’s not just a fundraiser asking for money. It’s extremely interactive,” Jeep Girls of Alaska founder, Pamela Speer said.

Mr. Vanderquack has embarked on numerous Jeep convoys across the country. He’s since left Alaska, off to the next community road trip. Speer said that she was honored to have so much fun with her fellow Jeepers for such a good cause, noting that Alaska Airlines even offered Mr. Vanderquack free travel.

“The Jeep community in Alaska, especially in the Mat-Su really rallies together for causes,” Speer said. “If we see a purpose and one of the members is excited about it, then I try to make sure I get behind them and do whatever I can to make their idea happen.

The goal is to hit all 50 states, visiting over 650 cities before finally returning to where the big, yellow duck first got to take wing, Missouri.

Mr. V’s progress across the country is being tracked on the official website with live updates posted periodically.

“He moves constantly,” Speer said with a laugh.

Lisa Unverzagt said that she’s humbled by the rapid level of support and commitment she’s garnered all over the U.S. since she started this cause in September.

Unverzagt said they raised over $10,000 before the trip even started, and they’ve already managed to raise nearly $29,000 total from over a dozen states.

She said it’s encouraging to know they’re on the right track to raising an average of $1,000 per state when it’s all said and done and Mr. Vanderquack can unpack his suitcase adorned with stickers and postcards from every corner of America.

“It is so fun watching it unfold. It’s amazing. If he could talk, he would have great stories,” Unverzagt said with a laugh.

Unverzagt said that she quickly found herself surrounded by Jeepers along with other community groups willing to commit to Mr. Vanderquack’s travel itinerary and accompany him during his long and fun-filled journey getting to enjoy everything the country has to offer, growing the level of support to the children at St. Jude.

“I’m watching Mr. Vanderquack’s journey everywhere he goes… He even got a ticket in Alaska for being too cute,” Unverzagt said with a laugh. “He’s telling a story about his mission in every picture. It’s just fantastic the way he’s inspiring people in different communities.”

Unverzagt lives in Illinois and works in Missouri, which is why she chose to start Mr v’s adventure there. She said the adorable mascot puts the “fun” in fundraising and has proven to be a successful way to rally people all over the country under a common cause. She plans to keep doing this every year with Mr. Vanderquack’s successors, starting with “Mr. Vanderquack Junior.”

Unverzagt said that her grassroots movement for the children at St. Jude grew faster than she anticipated, overwhelming her in a good way. She said that she’s thankful to Jeep Girls of Alaska and countless other groups across the country who’ve stepped up to make this all possible.

“This isn’t me. It’s all of them. All the Jeepers in the communities across the nation are doing whatever it takes to get him through that mission, to get people talking about childhood cancer awareness… We’re gonna keep talking about it and we’re gonna say, ‘hey you can be a part of it.’ It comes in all different forms,” Unverzagt said.

To learn more about the Mr. Vanderquack program and view real-time updates of his journey across America, visit mrvanderquack.com.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com