It will be every duck for itself in Alexandra on Saturday as hundreds of plastic ducks take part in the annual Great Duck Race.
The race down the Manuherikia River, to be held for the sixth year, is the main fundraiser for the Alexandra District Parents Centre.
President Nicola Rae said the race was a different way to raise funds.
‘‘Every organisation’s trying to fundraise, aren’t they, so this is a different way of doing it.’’
She said local kayakers would help any ducks that became stuck and the Otago Regional Council would place a boom near the Linger and Die Reserve to prevent ducks travelling too far downstream.
The group started with two donations of 800 plastic ducks but, following ‘‘a few fatalities in the duck world’’, 720 ducks would be racing on Saturday.
Raffles for the event had sold out, but people were encouraged to come and view the ducks travel down the river.
Alexandra District Parents Centre is a not-for-profit organisation which offered support to parents of preschoolaged children.
The funds would support initiatives held throughout the year, such as their music and movement workshop, and car seat hire, as well as operational costs.
‘‘It helps to subsidise the cost of running all of those events, to keep the cost of attending them for the community as little as possible,’’ she said.
‘‘[It’s] basically a network between families . . .the whole village helps raise the whanau.’’
The group was a great way to get parents and children out of the house and connecting, Mrs Rae said.
Ducks would be launched from the Little Valley Road Bridge at 10am and were expected to reach the Linger and Die Reserve by about 10.20am.
