Kids In Distress Welcomes 20,000 Ducks in Preparation for 2010 Duck Fest Derby

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Ducks everywhere have begun preening in preparation for the fourth annual Duck Fest Derby, presented by JM Family Enterprises, Inc. to benefit Kids In Distress (KID) of Broward and Palm Beach counties. Several special events will lead up to the great duck race, which takes place on Saturday, February 27 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Esplanade Park, located at 400 S.W. 2nd Street in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

The Duck Fest Derby is one of Fort Lauderdale’s signature events as 20,000 rubber ducks make their way to the finish line down the New River to capture the $5,000 Grand Prize. Ducks can be “adopted” for $5 each by visiting KidsInDistress.org. Ducks are also available the day of the race. A full day of family-friendly activities including the KID Olympics, music, food and more are planned for the afternoon, which culminates with the duck race. Prizes will be awarded to the top ducks.

“We are honored to support Kids In Distress and the critical care they provide for young abuse victims and their families in our community,” said Colin Brown, JM Family president and CEO. “This is our fourth year sponsoring Duckfest, and it’s always a great family event that raises much-needed funds for so many important programs and services.”

Several events are planned to support the Duck Fest Derby, including the second annual Duck Fest Derby Preview at Briny Irish Pub on Wednesday, February 24. Other events include duck adoptions at Kilwin’s Handmade Chocolates located on Las Olas Blvd in Fort Lauderdale.

In past years schools such as Atlantic Technical Center and St. Coleman’s School, as well as several children’s organizations, have sponsored the Duck Fest Derby through fundraising and volunteer efforts. This year, North Broward Prep joins them in committing to participate.

Duck Fest sponsors are JM Family Enterprises, AT&T, Publix, Federal Express, Staples, Brickman Group, Cliff Berry Inc. and Stiles. In addition, last year more than 75 teams participated, including many corporate groups such as Advanced Roofing, Advanced Green Technologies, Briny Irish Pub, BAHU, Prescription Pad, The Symphony, Carnival Cruise Lines, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, AutoNation, Power Financial, Crowe Horwath, Wilton Manors Police Department, Eastern Financial CU, Comerica and many more.

“Associates at these companies really get into the spirit, tracking their duck sales online and coming up with clever ways to market the event both internally and to family and friends,” said KID Board Member Lee Sheffield. “Duck Fest builds camaraderie in the months leading up to the event and then of course it all culminates on duck day. The 20,000 ducks floating down the New River is quite a site to behold.”

For more information on duck sales teams, sponsor participation or event hosting opportunities for Duck Fest call Kids In Distress at 954-390-7620 or visit http://www.KidsInDistress.org. For up-to-date information on supporting events, visit “Duck Fest Derby 2010” Facebook Fan Page.

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ABOUT KID:
Since 1979, Kids In Distress has had a demonstrated record of caring for and treating abused and neglected children through a full continuum of care that includes emergency shelters, therapeutic services, abuse prevention, foster care and adoption. A continuation of its mission to support families, KID recently expanded the preschool by opening classes to the community for infants 6 weeks to children 5 years of age. In 2009, Kids In Distress provided assistance to more than 7,000 children and families in Broward and Palm Beach counties.