The 2024 edition of Duck Race, a fundraising event organized by the Estonian Association of Parents of Children with Cancer, raised almost 420,000 euros for children with cancer and their families.
An amount of 299,505 euros was raised through the sale of sponsorships for the rubber ducks taking part in the race in the Kadriorg Park Canal, and the rest was donations made during the live broadcast of the event on public ETV television and bank transfers to the Estonian Association of Parents of Children with Cancer.
This year’s race, the 11th in the series, saw a new participation record, with 20,000 bath rubber ducks taking part. In 2014, when the first Duck Race took place, the number of rubber ducks was 7,500.
“Our heartfelt thanks go to the donors, individuals, and companies, everyone who extended a helping hand to the little heroes. This means hope and time for families on the hardest journey of their lives, allowing them to be together and fight for recovery,” said Luive Merilai, board member and family support specialist at the Estonian Association of Parents of Children with Cancer. “We were also very pleased to hail our team’s chief coach Ott Tanak, whose advice helped the little ducks reach the finish line,” Merilai added.
In the Duck Race, traditionally held on a date close to the International Children’s Day, June 1, the participating rubber ducks, each numbered with a waterproof marker, are simultaneously released into the water at the start of the Kadriorg Park Canal to float the few hundred meters to the end of the canal. At the finish line, the ducks are collected from the water, dried and delivered to a safe resting place until next year’s event.
The prizes for the winners include a 1,000-euro gift card from Estravel travel agency, free stays at hotels and spas, and a ride in the co-driver’s seat with rally world champion Ott Tanak behind the wheel as a special prize in the 2024 event.
Source: BNS
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