What sounds more fun than a giant rubber ducky race? Children’s Home Society and Child Advocacy Center in Gainesville, both which help victims of child abuse and neglect, are hosting the Gainesville Duck Derby and Family Fun Day at Westside Park on Sunday, February 27th from 1 to 4 p.m.

The event will feature a rubber duck race with around 3,000 ducks that will race down the waterslide and across the pool. For a suggested $5 donation (duck purchase packages are available, visit www.GainesvilleDuckDerby.org for details), you can ‘adopt a duck’ for the day, and if your duck is one of the first to finish, you could win great prizes including $1,000 cash, tickets to Disney or a family photography package!

In addition, there will be an afternoon of games and activities for the whole family, food from local restaurants, a Fun Run, a 5K Ducky Dash and more! The 5K Ducky Dash course is one of the toughest and oldest 5Ks in Gainesville. For those who want to add in a little fun, there is an optional “Ducky Decoder Dash” where there will be puzzles along the route to decode words to compete for a prize from the University Athletic Association. Ducky Dash registration is $30 and includes a rubber duck race entry. The run will start at 1:30 p.m.

All proceeds from the event will go to support the programs of Children’s Home Society and Child Advocacy Center. Winners do not have to be present, so anyone can support this great cause! Visit www.GainesvilleDuckDerby.org or call 352-334-0955 to sign-up and to purchase your ducks!