Spotlight On: Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby

Summertime Chi. Between the street festivals, the beach, baseball, and of course, Lollapalooza, summer in The Windy City has plenty of activities to entertain residents and visitors throughout the warm weather. If you’re in town next Thursday, make sure to check out one of the city’s most competitive aquatic races! The 2016 Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby is Chicago’s very own rubber ducky race down the Chicago River! Started in 2005, the Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby raises money for the Special Olympics Illinois. All of the proceeds go to support year-round training and competition in 19 sports for nearly 22,000 athletes. Though track and field are the most popular sports, there are a wide variety of offerings including tennis, volleyball, soccer, hockey, swimming and aquatics, bowling, golf, and many more. In total, the Illinois Special Olympics holds 184 competitions every year with athletes from every county in Illinois. In addition to the Rubber Ducky Derby, the Special Olympics hosts 150 other fundraising events annually including the Polar Plunge that take place statewide during February and March. They also host a Coaster Challenge with Six Flags Great America, and have a close relationship with Jewel Osco, who employs a number of Special Olympics athletes. Since its inception, the Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby has grown from a couple thousand ducks to this year’s goal of over 60,000 ducks!  Every year thousands of spectators look on as the ducks are dropped into the Chicago River and teams cheer as their ducks race to the finish line for their chance to win prizes such as an all-inclusive vacation, NASCAR tickets, or a new car. If you and your friends want to start your own team, you can follow the link here. Ducks are priced at various tiers and can be purchased online here:

• One duck for $5
• A Quack pack (6 ducks) for $25
• A Flock of Ducks (24 ducks) for $100
• A Diamond Duck Package of 240 ducks for $1,000

Ducks can also be purchased in person at the Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby up until 12:30 PM the day of the event. The more ducks that are “adopted” per person or per team the more chances you have to win! This year’s Duck Ambassador is Allie Reninger, an athlete who is a member of the Darling Ducklings team. Allie is a Global Messenger for the Special Olympics and has competed in volleyball, bocce, and soccer, though she has branched out to other sports, and will be competing in aquatics this spring. She teaches at KinderCare in Chalmers and also finds time to be an actress. Illinois Special Olympics would love your support whether it’s a rubber duck adoption or heading out to show your support on race day.  Remember you can purchase ducks online prior to the Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby, or you can adopt some at the event until 12:30 PM. Kickoff is 10:00 AM sharp next Thursday, August 4^th at 400 N Michigan Ave (the Wrigley Building) with the ducks released on the river at 1:00 PM.  See you on the river!