Rubber duckies go with the flow of charity

THEY COME BY the tens of thousands, giant flocks of yellow rubber ducks bobbing along waterways around the United States.

It's not an invasion of mutant toys. It's a rubber-duck race, an offbeat way to raise money for nonprofit groups — and amuse locals and tourists — from Tennessee to Texas, Washington and Hawaii.

In Honolulu each spring, tens of thousands of rubber ducks float down the Ala Wai Canal in a benefit for the United Cerebral Palsy Association. In Washington's Tri-Cities, 40,000 rubber ducks stream down the Columbia River (within booms) each fall in the Mid-Columbia Duck Race, making money for Rotary clubs.

Donors "adopt" a numbered duck; the first rubber ducky to float across the finish line wins everything from a new car to a Vegas vacation. Got a loser duck? Festivals often are held with the fundraising flotillas, creating a day of fun-for-good that makes everyone a winner.

Kristin R. Jackson is a Seattle Times travel writer and editor. Contact her at kjackson@seattletimes.com.