Thousands Of Rubber Ducks Race Down Chicago River For Charity
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On August 10, 2023, the Chicago River became a sea of yellow as thousands of rubber ducks plunged in for the Rubber Duck Derby. Celebrating its 18th year, the popular event helps raise much-needed funds for the Special Olympics Illinois.
The sunglass-wearing ducks all have numbers. Locals can adopt one or more ducks by paying a fee. It ranges from $5 for a single duck to $1,000 for a Diamond Duck pack of 240! The names of the sponsors are written next to the duck's numbers so winners can be notified.
This year, the festivities kicked off at 10:00 am with a family fair featuring free activities and live music. At 1:00 pm, Chicagoans flocked to the Columbus Drive Bridge to watch the splashdown. The assembled crowd enthusiastically cheered for the over 93,000 contestants as they floated along the river toward the finish line close to Michigan Avenue. The top four finishers were carefully plucked out by a vigilant volunteer.
In addition to bragging rights, the winners also get some amazing prizes. This year, the top prize was a 2024 Chevrolet Trax. The second-place winner got a Royal Caribbean cruise. The third-place prize was a shopping spree at Italian retailer Save the Duck. The fourth-place winner took home a cash prize of $2,000!
Concerned about the plastic toys' impact on the river? Then you will be pleased to know that all the ducks are collected at the end of each race. They are then thoroughly cleaned and stored for reuse at next year's Rubber Duck Derby.
Resources: duckrace.com, secretchicago.com, abcnews.com, theguardian.com
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52 Comments
lvasquez5 daysso many! so cool omg
miac9919 daysso many! so cool omg
lila2o622 daysI need one
williamo00022 daysoh wow !!!!!!!!!!! so many ducks wish I was there to see it !..
tumikenakehi22 dayswow this looks really fun and 5 dollars for a prize is really good.- miac9919 days5$ is so cheap!
bjjboy1122 daysThat sounds really fun and funny! imagine if you only bought one rubber duck and still won.
bunnycece23 daysI love duckies!
summer_beach23 daysWow! They did something like this near my house!
thepacertestabout 1 month👁🗨 I would want to watch that
kyguyabout 1 monthi love this. they should do this every day.