August 21, 2012; Source: Dayton Business Journal
United Rehabilitation Services (URS) in Dayton, Ohio was getting ready for its ninth annual Rubber Duck Regatta, to be held on September 15th, when a dastardly incident took place. Quackers, the duck mascot for URS’s Rubber Duck Regatta, was stolen over the weekend from the Butler Auto Bath, a local carwash. One wonders what fiendish mind could have snuck away with the 12-foot bright yellow duck known for inconspicuously sporting some pretty cool sunglasses.
Though the incident may seem humorous to outsiders at first glance, a URS spokesperson described the theft as an “unfortunate turn of events” in an e-mail and priced the duck’s value at $2,000. The Rubber Duck Regatta is a fundraising event the nonprofit holds which involves up to 15,000 miniature yellow rubber ducks plunging into the Great Miami River for a race to the finish line. The organization raises funds by asking supporters to adopt a duck for $5 each to partake in the controlled race. The nonprofit is calling on the community to help find the perpetrator(s) of the duck kidnapping. Quackers is the symbol of an exciting community event that raised $83,000 last year for this organization dedicated to serving children and adults with disabilities, so NPQ hopes the mascot will be safely returned before the event. –Aine Creedon
