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Rubber Ducky Derby Raises $12,000 for Special Olympics

October 3, 2016 7:37am | Updated October 3, 2016 7:37am
The seventh annual Rubber Ducky Derby at Mount Greenwood Park raised some $12,000 Sunday for Special Olympics Chicago.
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MOUNT GREENWOOD — The Rubber Ducky Derby at Mount Greenwood Park raised about $12,000 for Special Olympics Chicago.

The seventh annual event was held Sunday at the park at 3724 W. 111th St. in Mount Greenwood. Nearly 200 people attended the fundraiser that included kids' games, face painting, inflatable jumping houses and a live demonstration from Nature’s Creatures Animal Show.

This year, organizers of the fundraiser reached out to students at St. Cajetan School in Morgan Park, Christ the King School in Beverly and Mount Greenwood Elementary School. Students purchased rubber ducks for $5, and the owner of the winning duck took home a XBox One video game system.

Students from these local schools raised $5200 dollars for Special Olympics, which boasts more than 5,000 athletes throughout the area. Their contributions helped push the total amount raised well beyond the $10,000 the event brought in last year, according to a Special Olympics spokeswoman.

Among the participants in Special Olympics are more than 100 athletes who use Mount Greenwood Park to train for upcoming events. Several of these men and women were on hand as the buoyant bath toys raced down a homemade luge.

A portion of the proceeds from the event will directly fund programs at Mount Greenwood Park, and organizers plan to expand their campaign to more schools next year, the spokeswoman said.

“This year was the first year we recruited local schools to get involved, and we were truly overwhelmed with the response. These kids were so excited to help the athletes of Special Olympics Chicago," said said Dr. Casey Hogan, owner of the event's sponsor Advanced Eye Care Professionals.

For more information about the event or to make an online donation, visit www.sochicago.org.

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