LosGatosObserver.com

Sunday's Duck Race at Vasona Park raised $75,000. Volunteers clean up rubber ducks after the race. Photo by Mike Anderson.

Fifteen thousand bright-yellow rubber ducks serenely floated down Los Gatos Creek at Vasona Lake Park Sunday, raising money for 20 local charities. The event was the second annual Silicon Valley Duck Race, which was sponsored by Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley. Other local charities signed up to be “duck buddies,” an honor that included selling rubber ducks to raise money for their charities. and having an information booth at the event.

“It was fun,” said Claudia Espitia, who watched the duck race with her husband and three children. “I just love the whole community coming together. The best thing is, it’s for a good cause.”

Her daughter Natalie said, “It was awesome. Seeing all the different ducks—and there were so many.”

Sandi Gaertner, event coordinator for Jewish Family Services, said the event was a success. She was excited about how many people had come out, and at all the charities that had helped out, “We have over 200 volunteers,” she said. “It’s amazing how generous people are, giving up their father’s day for charity.”

Vasona Lake Park was packed with people cheering on the little bathtub pals. Loud speakers blasted classic rock, two bounce houses burst with exuberant tykes, and smiles graced the faces of people playing the carnival games. Though the crowd was mostly filled families with younger children, couples of all ages could also be seen wandering around.

Apple founder and Los Gatos resident Steve Wozniak was on hand to count down the start of the main race and lead the crowd in a rousing cheer of “Quack Quack Quack” from the middle of the creek. Arriving on his signature Segway, Wozniak said, “It’s obviously a great day and a great event.”

He said that though he gets a lot of requests to attend events, he tries to say yes to charitable ones, especially ones that involve children. “This is my first duck race,” he added.

All 15,000 rubber ducks were sold for $5 each. A total of 70 prizes were awarded on Sunday worth about $25,000, all donated to the event.

Yumi Hiroshima was one of the many winners, “It was fun, it was our first year here and we won,” she said. But she was a little shocked that out of 15,000 ducks hers was one of the winners, “I never win anything.”

Mishy Balaban, who chaired the event, said, the Silicon Valley Duck Race is looking to become the premier summer event for fund raising.

Ana Hays of Hospice of the Valley said she enjoyed talking to people in the community who had never heard of hospice. “We’re just really excited to be here,” she said. “These ducks were hysterical—watching them float down the river.”

Los Gatos Mayor Mike Wasserman was also on hand for the start of the race, “It’s tremendous,” he said. “Look at all the people—15,000 ducks sold out in the middle of a recession. It’s a win-win situation.”

Apparently, he added, “ducks are recession-proof.”

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