It was another day at the duck races on Saturday afternoon for the Alpha Phi Omega fraternity.

The service fraternity held its 8th annual duck race for which its members sold numbered rubber ducks to race down the Kishwaukee River for prizes.

Senior sociology major Danielle Anderson acted as the event’s mascot, walking around in a fuzzy duck costume. As her fourth year in APO, she has been to every duck race during her time with the fraternity.

“I’m really pleased with how everything turned out, the publicity and where the event’s gone since it first started,” Anderson said. “The team that organized it did a great job and it’s all going to a great cause.”

The money was raised for the Muscular Dystrophy Association so that five children with muscular dystrophy could be sent to a MDA summer camp where they could interact with other kids with MS while being looked after.

Placed in the river were 3,592 rubber ducks and they floated more than a half-mile to the First Street bridge. The fraternity had been selling ducks for a $1 a duck (or 6 ducks for $5) in the weeks before the race. More than $4,000 was raised, exceeding the fraternity’s goal.

In the past, only APO members attended the event, but this year a family fair was organized complete with a dunking booth and a moon bounce to expand fundraising opportunities and welcome a larger attendance from APO member’s relatives and local families. A fire engine from
the DeKalb Fire Department along with various NIU athletes were also present at the event.

“This is the first time having the family fair in a very long time, so it’s the first time we’ve had the families come out for the duck race,” said Alyssa Everley, the fundrasing coordinator for APO.

The first prize of $100 went to Jason Geils, a telecommunicator for the University Police.

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