All ducks are on deck for the 24th Annual Rubber Duck Regatta this weekend in Cincinnati, OH! 180,000 of our ducks (yes, you read right, nearly 200k ducks) will be dropped in the Ohio River to raise money for Freestore Foodbank. Freestore Foodbank provides emergency food and services to children and families with an ultimate goal of creating stability and self-reliance for those in crisis. If all ducks are adopted by this Sunday, this will mark the 5th consecutive year the event has raised over $1 million to fight hunger in their community. If that isn’t incredible, we don’t know what is!
To put things in perspective, here is a breakdown of what a duck or flock of ducks does for the organization:
- $5 = One duck and equates to 15 meals
- $25 = “Big Quack” – Five ducks, plus one free and equates to 75 meals
- $50 = “Bob’s Quack Pack” – Ten ducks, plus two free and equates to 150 meals
- $100 – “Flock of Ducks” – Twenty ducks, plus four free and equates to 300 meals
The festivities begin on Sunday, at 2 pm and one lucky duck will win a 2018 Honda Accord and possibly $1 million if their duck is the KEMBA Million Dollar Duck!
If you’re in the Cincinnati area, you don’t want to miss this QUACK-tacular event to help raise money to fight hunger! Adopt a duck or sign up to volunteer and see for yourself what it looks like to see 180,000 rubber ducks make a splash!
- August 29, 2018
The ducks are making their way back to sunny, Tampa, Florida for their 2nd duck race this Saturday! Last year, the Kiwanis Club of Tampa ‘s inaugural The Incredible Duck Race exceeded their original goal of 5,000 ducks and sold just over 7,400. This year, they have set a goal of 10,000 ducks to raise more money for The Tampa Kiwanis Club Foundation. The foundation supports local programs such as youth leadership, reading rooms, accessibility ramps, etc.
The festivities are between 10:00 am-12:00 pm and it’s free to the public! The event will feature family-friendly games, food trucks, and entertainment. Then stick around to watch the ducks make a splash in the Hillsborough River and see which three lucky ducks win cash prizes! First place winner takes home $5,000.
For more information about The Incredible Duck race or adopt a duck of your very own, go to www.TampaDuckRace.com!
- August 16, 2018
Tomorrow, 60,000 rubber ducks will make a splash in Downtown Chicago for the 13th Annual Chicago Ducky Derby! The duck race has been a staple fundraiser for Special Olympics Illinois and raised over $300,000 last year for their athletes. All proceeds benefit more than 23,000 athletes and approximately 20,000 Young Athletes across Illinois, to allow the athletes to participate in the Winter and Summer Special Olympics games at no cost to them and their families.
One lucky duck will take home a 2018 Chevy Equinox along with other great prizes for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place. If you’re in the Chicago area, it’s not too late to adopt your duck! Go to www.chicagoduckrace.com and secure your spot in the race with one duck for $5 or a flock of ducks (24) for $100!
The quacktivities begin tomorrow, August 9th at The Wrigley building at 9:00 am and the splashdown for the derby is at 1:00 pm.
For more information about Special Olympics and their incredible athletes, visit: www.soill.org
- August 8, 2018
It’s the final countdown for the first ever Zoom Duck Derby and Walk! The event will take place on Saturday, August 4, 2018, at the Columbus Zoo and Zoombezi Bay in Ohio. The fun begins at 8:00 a.m. with a wellness walk followed by the Zoom Duck Derby at 9:00 a.m. where 5,000 rubber ducks will splash into the lazy river and race to the finish line. There are some exciting prizes for the winners including $5,000 in cash. If you haven’t adopted a duck yet there’s still time! Visit www.zoomduckderby.com to adopt a duck online. All proceeds from the event benefit The Alpha Group of Delaware, a nonprofit that provides services to individuals with developmental disabilities. Examples of these services include work training, community employment, supportive living, and transportation. To read more about The Alpha Group please visit https://www.alphagroup.net.
- August 3, 2018
We have over 70,000 ducks racing to kick off May so it is another busy weekend of duck races!
1st Annual Houston Duck Derby
Who: Clear Lake Christian School
Clear Lake Christian School was founded in 1993 with the purpose of equipping students both academically and spiritually. Their mission is to develop students into deeply-rooted life-long learners, proficient communicators and productive leaders of society by providing high quality spiritual, social and academic opportunities.
Where: Clear Lake Christian School in Houston, Texas
When: Friday May 4, 2018. The ducks will launch at 6:30 p.m. CDT.
Highlights: The community will enjoy watching 5,000 ducks race down a man made water slide for some great prizes including a $500 Visa Gift Card, an iPad, season passes to Schlitterbahn and an Amazon Echo. Adopt a Duck, Inspire a Future!
Racer Website: www.houstonduckderby.com
Reedy River Duck Derby
Who: Rotary Club of Greenville Evening
Returning for their 14th year, the Rotary Club is racing 10,000 ducks for multiple nonprofit organizations in Greenville, SC. Nonprofits include: Shriners Hospital for Children, Mauldin Miracle League, the Carolina Youth Symphony and more!
Where: Reedy River Falls Park in Greenville, SC
When: Saturday, May 5, 2018 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EDT. The ducks launch at 2:30 p.m.
Highlights: There will be games, children’s activities, entertainment, and exhibits from local artists. Prizes include an Embassy Suites Golf Resort Weekend Package, $1500 cash, and groceries for a year from Publix!
Racer Website: www.reedyriverduckderby.com
11th Annual YESS Duck Derby
Who: Youth Emergency Services & Shelter
As Iowa’s largest provider of emergency services for youth, newborn through age 17, YESS touches the lives of more than 2,000 children per year through a range of programs designed to keep kids safe and help families thrive.
Where: Jordan Creek Town Center in Des Moines, IA
When: Saturday, May 5, 2018 at noon CDT. Ducks launch at 2:00 p.m.
Highlights: The community can enjoy an afternoon of family-friendly entertainment, activity booths, inflatables, photos with Quacky, and food samples from the restaurants in the Jordan Creek shopping center, all at no cost!
At approximately 2:00 p.m. a total of 36,000 yellow duckies will dive into the water to win one of ten prizes. This year’s prizes include a Landscaping Makeover, a Microsoft Prize Package and the Grand Prize winner receives $10,000 in cash!
Racer Website: www.yessduckderby.org
20th Annual Rubber Duck Derby
Who: Boys & Girls Clubs of Lanier
The Boys and & Girls Clubs of Lanier help youths participate in the “Youth of the Year” leadership program, provides school supplies, provide healthy snacks, and more for the club!
Where: Lake Lanier Olympic Park in Gainesville, GA
When: Saturday, May 5, 2018 from noon to 3:00 p.m. EDT. The Duck Fest is from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.
Highlights: Family and friends can celebrate Cinco de Mayo with live music from Stereotype, food and drinks. The highlight will be watching a total of 21,000 ducks splash into the lake and swim for first place! This year’s prizes include a Diamond Solitaire, Four Adventure Tour Passes through Canopy Tours and the quickest duck across the finish line will win the grand prize of $10,000 cash!
Racer Website: www.rubberduckderby.com
3rd Annual Tired Dog Rescue Duck Derby
Who: Tired Dog Rescue
Tired Dog Rescue’s was founded in 2008 to help the huge population of abandoned, abused and neglected dogs along the Gulf Coast. The dogs they take in receive all the medical care they need regardless of the cost and they ensure they are adopted into loving homes through their 100% volunteer based foster program. Tire Dog also assists low-income families along the Gulf Coast with food and/or medical care for their pets as long as funds are available.
Where: Gulf Islands Waterpark
When: Saturday, May 5, 2018 from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. CDT
Highlights: A total of 5,000 ducks will race at the Waterpark for an afternoon filled with music, a silent auction, raffles, food, and door prize giveaways! Adopt a Duck. Save a Life. It’s all about cash for the winners and the Grand Prize winner goes home with $1,000 cash! The second through fifth place winners will also receive cash.
Racer Website: www.tiredddogrescueduckderby.com
- May 1, 2018
It’s one of our biggest weekends of ducks racing and we have a total of 96,000 ducks racing at the end of April. Check out the details about each duck race!
Omega Nu Ducky Derby
Who: Omega Nu
Omega Nu has been serving Santa Cruz County since 1903 through charitable events, scholarships, and community service. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the Duck Derby goes directly back to the community.
Where: Friendship Gardens at Harvey West Park
When: Saturday, April 28, 2018 from 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. PDT
Highlights: The Santa Cruz community will join together in Friendship Gardens at Harvey West Park to enjoy a fun-filled day of activities for children and adults. In addition, there will be food, carnival games, live music, and local entertainment! This unique race features a custom-built course a total of 12,000 rubber ducks will race in with several heats throughout the afternoon. This duck race features hundreds of prizes with gift certificates to local businesses in Santa Cruz! Adopt a Duck and Help a Community today!
Racer Website: www.duckyderbysantacruz.org
The Arc Montgomery County Duck Festival
Who: The Arc Montgomery County
For almost 60 years, The Arc has supported children, youth, adults seniors and families affected by disabilities like autism and Down syndrome by providing child care, work skills, training, employment, community living services, respite care and advocacy.
Where: Veteran’s Plaza, Downtown Silver Spring
When: Saturday, April 28, 2018 from 9:30 a.m. – noon EDT.
Highlights: Race fans can enjoy free activities and entertainment that is fun for the whole family featuring carnival-style games and photo opportunities with Quacky. A diver will swim through 7,000 rubber ducks, plucking out a special few to win prizes for their adoptive families! The Grand Prize winner wins $1,000 cash and the second place winner will go home with $750. Third place wins $500. One lucky duck may win a million dollars!
Racer Website: www.thearcducks.org
24th Annual Ducks for Bucks Benefit Race
The Kiwanis Club of Fremont was founded in 1955 and is an active and vibrant service club assisting the local Tri-City community. They partner with multiple nonprofits within the community to adopt 7,000 ducks for their causes. Nonprofit selling organizations include schools, various youth organizations and clubs, churches, and adult & family service groups. Nearly $16,000 was paid out in 2017 to local charities and nonprofits!
Where: Fremont, CA at Elizabeth Lake
When: Saturday, April 22, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. PDT
Highlights: This race involves the community by allowing any nonprofit to participate and earn money for their organizations! Family games begin at 11:00 a.m. and the ducks race at 1:00 p.m.
Some lucky duck adopter will win the great grand prize of a car of their choice, from any dealer in the Fremont Auto Mall up to a $30,000 purchase. Other prizes include a grand prize of $2,000 cash, a Wellness package, and a weekend stay and fine dining package.
Racer Website: www.ducks4bucks.org
15th Annual Ken-Ducky Derby in Louisville
Who: Harbor House of Louisville
At Harbor House, their vision for the future is formed by the needs and dreams of the participants they serve. In implementing their mission of enhancing the lives of people with disabilities through employment, self-determination, education and community building opportunities, they are continuously leveraging limited resources in new and creative ways while staying at the forefront of positive trends.
Where: River Road in Louisville
When: Saturday, April 28, 2018. The ducks launch at 6:00 p.m.
Highlights: A total of 40,000 ducks will move from water to dry land this year. The community can enjoy live music, face painting and family friendly activities The first place grand prize winner drives home in a brand new 2018 Dodge Ram Truck provided by Swope Family of Dealerships. Adopt a Duck, Win a Truck! Second and third place winners walk away with cash prizes and every duck in the race has a chance to win one million dollars.
Racer Website: www.ducktruck.org
KinderMourn Hope Floats Duck Race
Who: Kindermourn
Kindermourn provides hope for bereaved parents, grieving children and teens by offering support and counseling programs and empowering the community to effectively assist those who have suffered an unthinkable loss.
Where: U.S. National Whitewater Center
When: Sunday, April 29, 2018 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. EDT. The ducks race at 3:30 p.m.
Highlights: Our final race of the weekend a total of 35,000 ducks are racing in the rapids at the U.S. National Whitewater Center. One lucky duck is going home with $2,500 cash.
This duck race also features a team competition so make sure to Adopt your Duck under the right team name or start a team of your own! Adopt ducks and float hope!
Racer Website: http://duckrace.com/charlotte
- April 25, 2018
Rubber ducks are fun and your duck race promotions should be too! Check out these ideas for some fun ways to promote your rubber duck race.
Duck Balloon Selfie Contest
Encourage people in your community to take a duck selfie with your duck balloon using a hashtag. People who post pictures on social media are entered into a weekly drawing. The Exchange Club of Walla Walla had fun with this contest.
Name Your Duck Mascot Contest
Post an image of your duck race balloon and ask your fans to post in the comments suggestions for your duck mascot name like our partner The Boys & Girls Club of the Blue Ridge did. The name with the most likes wins a duck adoption and prize pack!
Track Duck Adoptions
Create a fun duck adoption tracker at your office to create excitement about your race such as our nonprofit partner, Center for Prevention of Abuse, did for their duck race. Have employees participate in a “duckorating” contest and award a prize to the winner.
Duck Hunt for Kids
Our nonprofit partner, Clear Lake Christian School, recently had a duck hunt for their kindergarten through 5th graders! Students won fun prizes such as sunglasses and T-shirts.
Keep Teams Updated about Duck Sales
Post weekly updates to keep teams updated about their team sales to create some fun team competition such as this example from our nonprofit partner, Harbor House of Louisville.
Push Last Minute Duck Adoptions
Our nonprofit partner, Kids in Distress, posted this image on their Instagram page with the amount of ducks that were left to adopt and how those ducks could help their programs.
Share with us any fun ideas you have used to promote your duck race and we will feature them on our Facebook and Instagram Page.
- April 23, 2018
The ducks are traveling to Paducky Kentucky for the 4th Annual Paducky Derby on April 21, 2018. A total of 10,000 ducks are swimming to save, build and change lives.
4th Annual Paducky Derby
Who: Merryman House Domestic Crisis Center
The Merryman House Domestic Crisis Center is committed to saving, building and changing lives of those affected by domestic violence. Along with a 24 bed emergency shelter, the Center offers a variety of intervention and prevention programs.
Where: Noble Park Pond in Paducah, Kentucky
When: Saturday, April 21, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. CDT.
Racer Highlights: The First Place Prize Winner goes home with $1000 cash and the Second Place Prize Winner ends up with $500 cash. Each duck adopted goes directly to help the lives of those affected by domestic violence. The more ducks you adopt, the better your chances of winning!
Racer Website: www.paducahduckrace.com
- April 18, 2018
We have a total of 15,000 ducks racing in Texas and Florida this week for two fantastic nonprofits who each help children in their community.
11th Annual Texas City ISD Youthfest & Duck Derby
Who: Texas City Independent School District (TCISD)
The 11th Annual Texas City ISD Youthfest & Duck Derby returns this Saturday. The TCISD, in collaboration with the community and the school district, supports a quality education for students by generating resources to enrich, maintain and expand programs to meet the District’s stated mission of excellence.
Where: Texas City Sting Creek
When: April 14, 2018 from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. CDT.
Highlights: Get ready for all kinds of fun family activities including face painting, food music and entertainment. A total of 5000 rubber ducks will launch at 3:00 p.m. and race to the finish line.
Prizes: The first place duck goes home with a $2500 Visa Gift Card and the second place duck wins a DJI Mavic Pro Quadcopter Drone. Other prizes include a 55″ HD TV, an Apple Watch Series 3 and a $300 Cabela’s Gift Card. All 10 prize winners have the chance to win the “Lucky Duck” prize of a new $50,000 Ford Car or Truck!
Racer Website: http://www.duckrace.com/texascity
Adopt a Duck and Help a Child’s Future!
20th Annual Great Brevard Duck Race
Who: Crosswinds Youth Services
The ducks are headed back to Brevard, Florida this Sunday for the 20th Annual Great Brevard Duck Race! Crosswinds Youth Services’ mission embodies their belief that all young people should have the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Where: Sand Point Park in Titusville
When: April 15, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. EDT.
Highlights: A total of 10,000 ducks are launching at Sand Point Park to promote the mission of Crosswinds Youth Services. The community will enjoy food, activities and music.
Prizes: One lucky duck will win the grand prize of a 2-year lease on a 2018 Honda Fit! The first prize winner will set sail on a 4-night Disney Cruise Line vacation and the second prize winner receives a certificate for an exclusive Two-Park VIP Tour for up to 4 guests at Universal Orlando Florida. Other exciting prizes include a leather chair and ottoman, an evening of shark fishing and a stay at the Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront.
Adopting ducks changes lives!
Racer Website: www.greatbrevardduckrace.com
- April 10, 2018
We have a total of 8,000 rubber ducks racing in the Graham Duck Derby this weekend. The Rotary Club of Graham is going quackers over this event!
1st Annual Graham Duck Derby
Who: Rotary Club of Graham, Texas
The ducks are heading to Graham this weekend for the 1st Annual Graham Duck Derby! The Rotary Club of Graham is getting all of their ducks in a row through this event by supporting local charities that will benefit from duck adoptions. All proceeds will go towards College Scholarships, Teacher Appreciation, Habitat for Humanity, and the Coat Drive for the Goodfellow’s Angel Tree. The Rotary Club also supports the local Food Bank, the Backpack Buddies pantry and other community groups.
Where: Fireman’s Park in Graham, Texas
When: Saturday, April 7th from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. CDT. Ducks will race at 2:00 p.m.
Highlights: Join the Rotarians for a family fun day when they launch 8,000 yellow rubber ducks into the water. The community will enjoy family activities, games, remote control boats, bounce houses, live music, face painting, food trucks, a beverage tent, prizes and more. The duck race will start immediately following the Spivey Hill Challenge 5K and 1K Fun Run. One $5 duck adoption will feed a child for the weekend!
Prizes: The first place duck wins a $2,500 Visa Gift Card and the second place duck wins a $500 Visa Gift Card. Third place wins a $100 Visa Gift Card. If your duck finishes last, don’t worry since there is also a Dead Duck Last prize of a $250 Visa Gift Card.
Racer Website: www.grahamduckderby.com
- April 4, 2018
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