The Chattanooga Kiwanis Club is hosting the seventh annual Great Kiwanis Duck Race June 25, when club members will drop 5,000 rubber ducks off the Walnut Street Bridge at 5 p.m.
Kevin Cardwell, left, adopts a duck from Chattanooga Kiwanis Club president Brian Hunt."It's our largest fundraising campaign and is our signature event," said Hixson resident Brian Hunt, president of the Chattanooga Kiwanis Club. "It helps benefit the Kiwanis Youth Foundation that supports community-lead youth projects. The whole intent of the Kiwanis Club is to support activities that help make a better community for children."
Up to the day of the race, Kiwanis members are selling $5 tickets, which Hunt says they refer to as "adopting out ducks." Each ticket sold has a number that corresponds to a rubber duck. If all 5,000 ducks are adopted, the Kiwanis Club will have raised $25,000. This year, the majority of the proceeds will benefit First Things First.
"We are very excited about the opportunity to participate," said First Things First Executive Director Julie Baumgardner. "We have a number of programs we can use the funds for, including programs for fathers and parenting classes that help parents be more involved with their families."
In preparation for the event, the 5,000 rubber ducks are gathered into baskets, and at 5 p.m. on the dot the ducks are dumped simultaneously from the top of the Walnut Street Bridge into the river. When they hit the water and begin their journey downstream, volunteers will be ready at the finish line near the Ross' Landing Pier in boats and kayaks to pluck the first, second and third place winners out of the water. The person whose ticket matches the first place duck will win a $2,000 prize, with $1,000 for second and $500 for third.
"The ducks tend to follow a path, there are booms that separate them from the main river," Hunt said. "It's a fun event to watch. It's very quick race; it literally takes five minutes."