United Way campaign kick-off goes to the ducks

By Dave Flaherty/The Oshawa Express

One thousand rubber ducks floating down the Oshawa Creek isn’t something that happens every day.

However, this is exactly what will occur this Thursday (Sept 21) as the United Way Durham Region kicks off its 2017 campaign.

“It’s the first time we’ve done this. We wanted to put a little ‘fun’ in fundraising,” says Sherry MacLeod, campaign manager for the United Way. “We’ve partnered with the city and wanted to do something that was fun where people can congregate together downtown.”

Beginning at the pedestrian bridge behind the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, the 1,000 ducks will be released into the Oshawa Creek and travel towards the John Street bridge in Brick By Brick Park.

The top five winners will be announced shortly after with a first place prize of $1,000.

Ducks are available in advance at the United Way office at 345 Simcoe Street South, Oshawa and at various businesses in the downtown area. One duck is $10 and three are $25.

Halenda’s Meats and Frankie’s Veal ‘Sangwiches’ will be cooking up lunch options for those in attendance, with a portion of proceeds supporting the United Way campaign.

“It’s a real community effort,” MacLeod stated.

The event will run between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

The goal for this year’s campaign is $2.9 million, a slight increase from the $2.7 million raised in 2016.

Entering its 77th annual campaign, United Way Durham Region supports 30 organizations offering 200 programs from Ajax to Uxbridge and every community in between.

“For 77 years, the community has come together and put their efforts behind a single campaign which supports a broad range of charitable needs in our community. We are grateful for the many thousands of volunteers and leaders in our community for their annual foresight and proud custodianship of this wonderful legacy of caring, sharing and investing in all those least advantaged, in so doing helping to make this a better community for all,” says United Way campaign and communications director Robert Howard.