Latest news with #SpecialOlympicsIllinois
UPI
4 days ago
- Sport
- UPI
Watch: 82,000 rubber ducks race down the Chicago River
Aug. 8 (UPI) -- More than 82,000 rubber ducks went floating down the Chicago River for the 2025 Chicago Ducky Derby, an annual fundraiser for Special Olympics Illinois. The event called on spectators and fans to adopt a duck for a $10 donation, and the ducks were then dumped into the river for a floating race to win their adopters prizes including a Chevy Trailblazer, $2,500 cash and W Club Chicago Cubs tickets. Organizers said more than 82,000 rubber ducks participated in this year's derby, which raised nearly $600,000 for Special Olympics Illinois. "Each donation supports Special Olympics Illinois programming which creates opportunities for growth, personal development, and connection through, sports, health, and leadership programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities," Pete Beale-DelVecchio, president and CEO of Special Olympics Illinois, said in a statement. The event also included live music, food trucks, photo opportunities and games. The ducks were removed from the river after the race and will be stored for use in next year's event.
CBS News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Chicago Ducky Derby 2025 splashes down in Chicago River Thursday afternoon
The annual Chicago Ducky Derby will hit the Chicago River Thursday afternoon. More than 75,000 rubber ducks will race down the river for the event presented by Special Olympics Illinois and Jewel-Osco. Splashdown is at 1 the Columbus Drive Bridge. Before race time, the Derby Festival — featuring games, food trucks, photo opps, music and more — begins at 10 a.m. in Pioneer Court at 401 N. Michigan Avenue. If you want to enter the race yourself, you can adopt a duck for $10, which also gives you a chance to win prizes. You can adopt a ducky online at or in person at Pioneer Court until 10 minutes before the race or while they're still available. The derby raises funds for the athletes of Special Olympics Illinois. This year athlete Zach Coppel of Highland Park, Illinois, is the race's ambassador.
Time Out
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
The Chicago Ducky Derby will bring 100,000 rubber duckies to the Chicago River tomorrow
Back again this summer, the Chicago Ducky Derby is set to make a massive, albeit quirky, impact: Tomorrow, thousands of little yellow rubber ducks will be dumped into the Chicago River—100,000 to be exact—beginning at the historic Columbus Drive Bridge. The annual rubber duck race, held in benefit of the Special Olympics Illinois, will begin at Pioneer Court on Thursday, August 7 at 10am, with the beloved Splash Down festival to kick off promptly at 1pm. Bring your camera and sense of adventure to support this worthy cause. If you'd rather do more than be a spectator, you can make an even bigger impact by "adopting" a duck. Each yellow buddy starts at $10 and can be adopted individually or in larger packages on the day of the race in person at Pioneer Court at 401 North Michigan Avenue until 12:50pm, while supplies last. The Quack Pack is $30 and includes six ducks, the Ducky Dozen includes 12 ducks and costs $60, the Flock of Ducks includes 24 ducks and costs $120, and the Diamond Duck Pack includes 240 ducks and costs $1,200. So far, nearly 63,000 ducks have been purchased, and those dollars will go to raising funds and awareness for the very deserving Special Olympics Illinois athletes. (Click here to adopt a yellow rubber duck or to purchase fun t-shirts, supporting the event.) And, yes, there are prizes if your ducky wins! Among the goodies is a Chevy Trailblazer SUV, promoted by Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana Chevy Dealers. Other winnings include a $2,500 cash prize via Wintrust Financial and four coveted premium W Club Chicago Cubs tickets for the Cubs versus Cardinals season finale game at Wrigley Field on September 28. These are high stakes ducks!
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Law enforcement runs from Fischer to Champaign for Special Olympics
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA) — It was all smiles across Champaign County on Friday as law enforcement participated in an annual tradition — the Law Enforcement Torch Run benefiting Special Olympics. The Torch Run is the largest public awareness and fundraising event for Special Olympics Illinois. In Champaign County, officers started running at 5:30 in the morning in Fischer. Urbana police officer recalls near-death experience while on the job The route took them through Rantoul, Thomasboro, Urbana and Champaign and ended at the Olympic Monument at Parkland College in the early afternoon. That's a distance of 17 miles. Gymnast Summer Nagele said the Special Olympics program creates fun opportunities for athletes all over the world and she was among the many who were helped by it. 'I really like Special Olympics, and it has helped me learn a whole lot of different sports and see which ones I like and which ones I don't like,' Nagele said. Torch runs similar to Friday's happened all over Illinois and will continue into next week, when the Illinois Special Olympics Summer Games start in Bloomington. Champaign woman to host event for gun violence, drug abuse awareness Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Cop on a Rooftop raises $1.2M for Special Olympics Illinois
ILLINOIS (WCIA) — Law enforcement officers stood on top of Dunkin' Donuts' rooftops across the state on Friday to raise money for an important cause. Cop on a Rooftop is part of an effort to raise money for the Special Olympics Illinois and helps to ensure that each athlete can compete at no cost. Oberheim Baseball tournament held to honor fallen officer This year, the event raised $1.2 million. It's their largest fundraiser of the year. From 5 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday, law enforcement officers stood atop Dunkin' locations in the state, to rally communities in support of their local Special Olympics athletes. In Illinois, more than 350 Dunkin' locations participated in the fundraiser. This year marks the 22nd year of the event. Since the program began, nearly $10 million has been raised in Illinois. You can find out more about the event, and how to donate, here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
