The Jubilee Sailing Trust is urging its members and supporters to take part in this year’s Great British Duck Race which aims to raise over £500,000 for UK charities and retain the UK’s place as the duck racing capital of the world.
In 2007 organisers smashed the Singapore World Record by racing 165,000 yellow plastic ducks down the river Thames and raised over £100,000 for 440 UK charities.
This year the organisers want to do it bigger and better and will be attempting to race a quarter of a million of our little yellow friends down the 1 kilometre race course! This number of ducks will obliterate the record the UK already holds, and prove to the rest of the duck racing world that Great Britain does it best!!!
This years race will take place on Sunday 31st August 2008, on a 1km stretch of the River Thames near Hampton Court Palace.
You don’t even have to worry about the ducks as these ones are made of plastic!
Organisers hope to start to a mass 250,000 individually numbered plastic ducks in special holding pens in the River Thames before starting the race at 1.30pm.
Depending on the conditions it is anticipated that the race will take about an hour to complete, with the natural current of the river carrying the ducks along the course.
It costs just £2 to adopt one of the ducks via http://www.thegreatbritishduckrace.co.uk/ and be in with a chance of winning one of 30 fantastic prizes, including £10,000 for the first duck to cross the finish line.
Participants can also choose to make a donation to any of the UK charities registered with the Great British Duck Race, including the Jubilee Sailing Trust.
Kelly Carter, Fundraising assistant for the Jubilee Sailing Trust said, "This is a brilliant opportunity to have fun and raise money for the Jubilee Sailing Trust at the same time, with the added bonus of your yellow chum possibly winning you £10,000.”
She continued, “The JST needs your support, and the money raised from this event will enable people of all abilities to come onboard one of our tall ships for an adventure of a lifetime, so please support this fantastic fundraiser and help raise some serious money for the JST."
Other charities, as well as schools and companies, are being encouraged to register on the website and spread the word via members, pupils, employees, friends and relatives. Once registered, each organisation will receive its own Great British Duck Race web page, enabling donations to be made direct to the charity of their choice.
The Duck Race is working in close partnership with the River Thames Alliance and the Environment Agency to ensure that every plastic duck is removed from the Thames on completion of the race and then recycled or reused.
Spectators and participants are welcome to attend the race, with refreshments being served along the course near Hampton Court.
To find out more about the Great British Duck Race, visit: http://www.thegreatbritishduckrace.co.uk/