Pocono News Section

8,000 Ducks Float To Fight Cancer

8,000 Ducks Float To Fight Cancer - Friday, July 4, 2008 at 3:34PM EST

Reported by: Jeff Chirico
Friday, Jul 4, 2008 @ 03:34pm EST
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY --The weather and river were perfect for the 20th annual Duck Derby. It's an event to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Our Jeff Chirico was there for the big drop. It was quite a sight as thousands of ducks fall from Veterans Memorial Bridge.

Eight thousand rubber ducks take a bath in the Susquehanna River in Wilkes-Barre Friday afternoon. As they slowly float downriver, people line up to watch the race.

Paul Hager/ Wilkes-Barre

"When we seen the ducks I was nervous. I thought they were real ducks the first time." The yellow mass inches past the courthouse on it's way to the Market Street bridge. Folks from the American Cancer Society were thrilled the river was low enough to dump the ducks.

Joe Joyce/American Cancer Society

"For the past four years we haven't been able to dump which is anticlimactic. So we can dump them, attract people to see a great event." As the ducks close in on the finish line --the sheriff's department rescue dive team nets the big winner. It's not Lee Zielen's or his granddaughter's.

Lee Zielen/Larksville

"Ours is probably still out there. I see a few out there on the river." But the loser ducks have minds of their owns and escape right over the fire hose that's supposed to block them.

Chris Varzaly's duck came in third amazingly after telling his wife, he'd win the dirt bike.

Chris Varzaly/Kingston

"I said I was going to win and sure enough got it. That's a one in 8000 chance. Now it's her bike. Now she has a small bike to ride. He bought 12 ducks."

The event raised 34 thousand dollars for the American Cancer Society.