Ducks burn rubber down Willamette.

Byline: Lewis Taylor The Register-Guard

"Oversize Load" read the sign on the big yellow crane that dumped more than 58,300 rubber ducks into the Willamette River on Saturday.

"That's a lot of ducks," one spectator remarked as the door swung open on a giant blue Sanipac Dumpster and released the faux waterfowl into a torrent of white water and swiftly moving currents. For a flock accustomed to bobbing in the calm waters of a bathtub, it had to be a jarring experience.

For everyone else, it was just plain fun.

"This is our third year of coming to watch them swim down the river," said Kris Skoog of Eugene, who witnessed the release with her 4-year-old son Kellen from atop the Autzen Footbridge. "We get to ride our bikes and chase them down the river."

And so began the 19th annual Great Rotary Duck Race, a fundraiser that's become a rite of fall in Eugene.

"I'm new to the area, but I feel like now I've officially become a Eugenean," said Justine Michaud, formerly of Connecticut. "I've seen the Ducks play (football) and seen the (rubber) ducks in the water."

Saturday's event - sponsored by the Rotary clubs of Eugene, Springfield and Cottage Grove - raised more than $291,500 for seven charities, all of them devoted to fighting child abuse. Spectators paid $5 to sponsor each duck. The names attached to the first 14 ducks to cross the finish line all won prizes.

"It's not really about winning," said Tim LeMay of Harrisburg. "It's the donations and the cause. The whole community just pulls together (to help)."

While attention focussed on the charities that benefitted from the event, there were a few people who walked away with something for themselves. This was, after all, a race, and Cindy Howard won a 2006 Volvo S40 for sponsoring the first duck into the chute. Other prizes included a home spa, a Caribbean cruise and a big screen TV, which was won by Nancy Golden, a Rotarian and the superintendent of Springfield schools.

Golden, who sponsored 50 ducks, said she had never won anything. She planned to give the television to her husband.

She also expressed her appreciation for all of the charitable organizations that benefitted from Saturday's event. She said she sees the aftereffects of child abuse on a daily basis while doing her job.

"Learning's tough as it is, but learning without having the support you need is really tough," she said.

Mary Ann Rhodes, the lead organizer or "Mama Duck" behind the Great Rotary Duck Race, said the event has continued to grow since its inception in 1988. That first race was overseen by former Eugene Mayor Jim Torrey. It featured 21,413 ducks and raised $107,065 for charity. Last year's race raised $261,210.

"I think it's pretty incredible," said Angela Phinney, chairwoman of the race's charity selection committee and the development director for the Arc of Lane County. "I do fundraising for a living and I know of no other event where the community comes together like this."