Ducking and diving in the name of charity
Two thousand rubber ducks bobbed their way down Makino Stream in a quacker of a race in Feilding.
Eden Christian Kindergarten held its biennial duck race on Saturday, releasing 2000 rubber ducks, with the first 20 to cross the finish line winning prizes.
People bought the numbered ducks for $5 each and lined the stream’s banks to watch them make their way to the finish line downstream.
The weather made the race particularly challenging.
A lack of rain over the past week had depleted the stream, meaning helpers had to push swathes of ducks down the river to get them back on course, while the wind fought to blow them into shallow water.
Although they took a while to get moving, the crowd stayed enthusiastic and there were plenty of cheers when the first ducks finally crossed the line.
Kindergarten manager Barb Funnell said the race had proved popular, with all but five tickets sold.
Funnell said the whole community had got behind the event as families were in charge of selling tickets and the prizes had been donated by businesses.
‘‘I’m just thankful for the support of the community... It’s a team effort.’’
She hoped giving the ducks a helping hand wouldn’t cause too much controversy, but said organisers weren’t left with much choice.
The Brunton family were at the race supporting their former kindergarten. Zak, 13, and Liam, 11, thought their five ducks may have had a chance, but Nadia, 8, wasn’t so sure once she saw the ducks hit the river. ‘‘We couldn’t even see them moving when they started,’’ she said.
Liam said there needed to be some water poured into the river to ‘‘help them go a bit faster’’, while Zak said it was ‘‘pretty fun’’ and a unique experience to watch the race.
The next task was to count all the ducks and pack them away, ready for the next race.
The money raised will go toward buying new outdoor play equipment for the children at the kindergarten, that hasn’t been upgraded for 16 years.