THE Kuala Lumpur Charity Duck Race is back and this time the organiser, Festival Square Circle (FSC), is hoping that the event will raise a record RM1mil for the National Cancer Council (Makna) and Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation.

The organiser aims to see 100,000 rubber ducks adopted by Malaysians and released into the Sungai Gombak, near the Legend Hotel Kuala Lumpur in Jalan Putra, at the charity race that will be held on Sept 4.

To take part in the event, one is required to pay RM18 to adopt a duck which carries a random computer-generated tag which has a number that corresponds to the number on his or her adoption certificate.

In this year's race, RM10 from each adoption fee will be channelled to both the beneficiaries.

“With the higher number of duck adoptions targeted in this year's charity duck race, we are confident of raising funds for both Makna and Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation,” said FSC managing director Raja Aris Dzulkifli at the launch in Kuala Lumpur recently.

“We hope that Malaysians will continue to be generous by adopting as many ducks as possible and who knows, maybe this year the first duck to cross the finishing line will be a red duck.”

One percent of the total number of ducks released into the river will be red in colour while the rest will be yellow. Should the red duck cross the finishing line first, the adopter will walk away with RM1mil.

However, if the yellow duck finishes first, the winner will receive RM10,000.

Raja Aris said the public and donors were welcome to watch the ducks at the finishing line and take part in a carnival to be held on Sept 4 at Merdeka Square from 10am until evening.

Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation president Sunny Lee said he hoped that the event would become one of the major events in Tourism Malaysia's calendar.

The record of 80,000 ducks adopted in 2001, when the first KL Charity Duck Race was held, had not been broken in the past four years. No red ducks had ever finished first in the race and the closest was in 2003 when the red duck came in eighth.

The event is aimed at providing a fun way for the public to raise money and help care for local charities.

Those interested in adopting the ducks can visit www.klduckrace.com or www.ticketcharge.com.my or call 03-7726 2002. They can also adopt through six Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation centres across the country and all Watsons outlets in peninsular Malaysia.

The adoption period ends on Aug 28.

Source by: http://www.kiwanis.org.my, June 25, 2005