Thousands of ducks waddle for big bucks

More than 1,200 rubber ducks sailed down College Green yesterday afternoon in the first-ever Rubber Ducky Race. Beta Theta Pi fraternity and Chi Omega sorority teamed up to organize the race, which raised between $1,500 and $2,000 for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. The charity grants wishes to terminally ill children. Ducks were on sale on Locust Walk all week. Each one sold for $3, with discounts available for bulk duck buyers. Yesterday, race organizers put the ducks in a large water tank on College Green. When the tank was tipped, the water and the ducks poured into a track that stretched across the Green. The first duck to float past the finish line won its heat. Organizers held seven heats, with the winning ducks from the first six races competing in the seventh round. The ducks had numbers that identified their owners. Maureen Webster, whose duck won the championship race, received the grand prize of a trip to Disney World over Spring Break. Webster lives in Rhode Island, and bought her ticket through the father of a Beta brother there, according to the fraternity's philanthropy chairperson, Wharton senior Brian Kaplan. The second-place winner, College junior Marnie Sambur, won a 20-inch color TV, while third-place winner Kim Baltz, a Wharton junior, walked away with dinner for 10 at South Street's Marrakesh restaurant. Organizers also gave consolation prizes to the owners of five or six runner-up ducks in each race. These ranged from T-shirts to gift certificates from local stores and restaurants. "I hope next year's race will be even bigger and better," said Kaplan, who organized the event. "I hope this will be the first annual Rubber Ducky Race." Kaplan added that he chose to benefit Make-a-Wish because students sympathize with the foundation's purpose. "We decided we wanted to do something on a larger scale to get our name out and to do something for charity," he said. "Outside of the Greek system, fraternities have a pretty negative image. Community work is one way to bolster that image." Kaplan would like to see more community and charity work done by Greeks, including a system-wide charity event, he added. Chi O President Katie Leeson, a College senior, agreed that community service helps improve Greeks' standing on campus. "Community service has to be part of the Greek system," she explained. "We're showing that we're members of the West Philadelphia community as well as the Penn community." The Rubber Ducky Race is not unique to Penn. Beta members launched the race after seeing similar events succeed at other schools, including Villanova University. "I entered the race because I wanted the ducks," said College freshman Janet Fu, who bought three ducks and won a T-shirt with one of them. "I didn't know it was for charity." But most students said they were glad the money went to the Make-A-Wish Foundation -- not that other factors weren't an influence. "I think it's a very good cause," said College junior Ruby Arguilla. "The ducks are cute, too."