It’s time again for the annual Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby!
For the past 10 years, thousands of spectators gather to watch 60,000 yellow rubber ducks splash into the Chicago River from the Columbus Drive Bridge in downtown Chicago and race down the river towards the finish line.
Race day kicks off at 10 a.m. on August 6 in front of the Wrigley Building, with a family festival featuring games, face painters and Chicago sports team mascots. Splashdown for the Duck Derby is 1 p.m.
Admission is free to this event, but you can adopt a duck for your chance to win one of the Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby’s great prizes including a 2015 Chevy Trax or an all-inclusive Apple Vacation. You can adopt a duck for only $5. Get more chances to win by purchasing a Quack Pack (6 ducks for $25), Flock of Ducks (24 ducks for $100) or Decade of Ducks Donor package (240 ducks for $1,000). Duck adoptions must be made in the name of an adult, age 18 or older. You can adopt ducks online, or on Race Day from 7 a.m. until approximately 12:30 p.m. (or when ducks sell out) at 400 North Michigan Avenue. Online adoptions will close Wednesday, August 5th, or sooner, if ducks become unavailable.
The Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby is a signature annual fundraiser benefiting Special Olympics Illinois.
This year’s Duck Derby Ambassador is Nick Lorenz. Nick is 20 years old and has been competing with Special Olympics Illinois in bowling, bocce, swimming, track, softball and basketball for 12 years. He’s an avid Chicago sports fan – always cheering on the Bulls, Blackhawks, White Sox, Cubs and Wolves. In addition he loves attending NASCAR events. When he’s not competing, Nick volunteers at his church, helps his uncle at a food pantry, and assists at LWSRA, the Special Rec Association where he competes. 2015 will mark Nick’s 2nd year on the Ducklings sales team – he sold 2,090 ducks his first year!
Special Olympics is a global organization that unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sport, every day around the world. Through programming in sports, health, education and community building, Special Olympics is changing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities solving the global injustice, isolation, intolerance and inactivity they face. Special Olympics Illinois provides opportunities for nearly 22,000 athletes, 40,000 volunteers and thousands more people statewide through 18 Area programs in all 102 counties of the state.
Special Olympics began in Illinois with the first games at Soldier Field in July 1968 thanks to the efforts of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and her peers. There are now more than 4.4 million athletes in 170 countries. Special Olympics is financially sound with diverse revenue streams, a thorough annual budget process and increasing organizational revenue streams. Special Olympics Illinois does not charge athletes or their families to participate in the program.
Special Olympics Illinois aims to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.
