90,000 rubber ducks splash into Chicago River for Ducky Derby fundraiser

The truck dumped the ducks from one side of a half-raised bridge.

After forming a yellow pool in the river, the ducks floated for around 15 minutes before a winner and runner-up were plucked from the water.

The annual event, a fundraiser for Special Olympics Illinois, draws thousands of participants.

At an accompanying festival, participants took pictures with inflatable ducks and doodled on a chalkboard under the prompt: “I adopt a duck because…”

Some sported rubber duck-printed shirts.

Becky Cavanagh, the Ducky Derby ambassador and a 13-year Special Olympics athlete, held up the winning duck to the cheers of crowds packed on both sides of the river.

Ms Cavanagh said her favourite part about the Special Olympics was “making new friends”.

Asked before the race how she felt about picking the winning duck, she cheered: “Woo!”

Special Olympics Illinois organises competitions across the state for people with disabilities and special needs.

It costs 10 dollars to sponsor a “lone duck”, which will feed an athlete lunch at a competition, and 30 dollars for a “quack pack” of six ducks, which supplies gold medals for a team.

The competition has raised more than 480,000 dollars.

The sponsor of the fastest duck wins an SUV, and the runner-up will win 2,500 dollars in cash, said Pete Beale-DelVecchio, president of Special Olympics Illinois.

“It really is a fantastic day for our athletes,” he said ahead of the race at an area next to the river, where derby attendees posed with inflatable rubber ducks and danced along to a live DJ.