Rubber ducks race down Anchorage’s Ship Creek in inaugural fundraiser

Updated: September 8, 2019 Published: September 8, 2019

A small crowd waits anxiously on the bank of Ship Creek while the winning rubber ducks of The Great Alaska Duck Race are plucked from the water on Saturday, September 7, 2019. (Jeff Parrott / ADN)

A small crowd of rain-soaked but enthusiastic fans cheered on more than 3,500 rubber ducks that raced down Ship Creek on Saturday at the inaugural floating of The Great Alaska Duck Race.

The race raised at least $20,000 for youth sports and education programs, said Jason Motyka, one of the organizers and a co-owner of 49th State Brewing Co. Proceeds from the race will go to EXCEL Alaska, Cook Inlet Soccer Club and Alaska State Hockey, Motyka said.

Dropped from a bridge near the Ship Creek Overlook Park, the ducks floated toward the finish line near the Bridge Seafood Restaurant. Spectators cheered and chased the flock down the bank while the ducks bobbed and bounced for position.

The Great Alaska Duck Race was hosted by 49th State Brewing and the Anchorage Downtown Community Council.

More than 3,500 rubber ducks splash into Ship Creek at the beginning of The Great Alaska Duck Race in Anchorage on Saturday, September 7, 2019. (Jeff Parrott / ADN)

Rubber ducks from The Great Alaska Duck Race float down Ship Creek towards a small flock of wild ducks on Saturday, September 7, 2019. (Jeff Parrott / ADN)

Jason Motyka, a co-founder of 49th State Brewing Company and one of the organizers of The Great Alaska Duck Race, addresses a crowd of spectators on the bank of Ship Creek in Anchorage on Saturday, September 7, 2019. (Jeff Parrott / ADN)

Jeff Parrott

Jeff Parrott is a former general assignment reporter for Anchorage Daily News. He graduated with a master's degree in 2019 from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and is a former U.S. Army officer.