CHICAGO – A bright yellow wave of 90,000 rubber ducks spilled from a truck on the Columbus Drive bridge Thursday, dropping into the Chicago River for the annual Chicago Ducky Derby.
The ducks drifted down the river for about 15 minutes before organizers scooped up the winner and runner-up from the water.
The yearly race, which benefits Special Olympics Illinois, brings out thousands of supporters and spectators.
Becky Cavanagh, this year’s Ducky Derby ambassador and a Special Olympics athlete for 13 years, lifted the winning duck as crowds lining both banks of the river erupted in cheers.
Cavanagh said what she loves most about Special Olympics is “making new friends.” Before the race, when asked how she felt about choosing the winning duck, she answered with an enthusiastic, “Woo!”
Special Olympics Illinois hosts competitions throughout the state for people with disabilities and special needs. Sponsoring a “lone duck” costs $10, enough to provide lunch for an athlete at a competition, while a $30 “quack pack” of six ducks helps provide gold medals for a team. This year’s derby has raised more than $480,000.
The person who sponsored the fastest duck receives an SUV, while the runner-up wins $2,500 in cash, according to Pete Beale-DelVecchio, president of Special Olympics Illinois.
“It really is a fantastic day for our athletes,” Beale-DelVecchio said before the race near the riverfront, where attendees snapped photos with inflatable rubber ducks and danced to music from a live DJ.
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Mayes-Osterman is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
