PEORIA, Ill. — It’s the longest-running race of its kind.
This August, Peoria’s Center for Prevention of Abuse will release 35,000 rubber ducks, the most ever, during their 35th Annual Duck Race.
Ducks went on sale Thursday, June 1st, and will remain on sale until they’re sold out.
The race is the longest-running duck race of its kind, but it’s also the Center for Prevention of Abuse’s biggest fundraiser of the year, with 100% of the money raised supporting its programming.
The Center’s CEO Carol Merna says all adopted ducks will make their way down a giant “Slip n Slide” at the Eastside Centre in East Peoria on Saturday, August 26 at 1 p.m.
Merna says domestic violence actually accounts for about 15-percent of all violent crime.
“It’s big…as hard as we work to prevent abuse before it starts, it’s still there. We still serve about 6,000 people a year at the Center for Prevention of Abuse,” Merna says.
The Center’s newest program, helping human trafficking victims, was established a little over four years ago, serves 46 Illinois counties.
“We’re the lead victim service provider for the Illinois State Police, partnering with the FBI and Homeland Security, making sure that the many victims of human trafficking throughout Illinois have a place to go,” Merna says.
The Center for Prevention of Abuse has two emergency shelters in Peoria and Pekin, and programs covering an even larger area of the state.
Ducks are $5.00 a piece. The first 15 ducks to cross the finish line win prizes, first prize is $10,000. Over 4,800 ducks have been adopted so far.
Details on ducks can be found HERE.
