Augusta Duck Dash Returns Oct. 3 to Fund Beds for Children

The Family YMCA will host the Augusta Duck Dash on Oct. 3 at Savannah Rapids. Five thousand rubber ducks will zip down the canal. Every dollar raised buys beds for kids who sleep on floors.

The event supports A Place to Dream, a program that delivers sleeping spaces to children without them. A crane hoists thousands of yellow ducks high above the waterway, then tips them into the current below.

Each duck costs $10 to sponsor. Winners snag cash and prizes from local shops.

"We have a crane that goes up, and it dumps about 5,000 ducks into the canal at Savannah Rapids," said Catie McCauley, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Augusta, per WRDW. "And it's so fun to watch those ducks kind of race down."

A complete bed through A Place to Dream runs $380 per child, but the fundraiser opens doors for smaller contributions too.

"We know that not everybody can support at that level, but Duck Dash allows a child to be able to give $10 to support a place to dream," McCauley said.

The program also distributes cribs to newborns at Wellstar Golisano Children's Hospital of Georgia when families lack safe sleeping arrangements. Since 2017, the YMCA has handed out more than 2,000 beds across the area.

"That need just continues to rise," McCauley said. "The Duck Dash gives us the financial support to be able to give those beds out."

Oct. 3 brings bounce houses, face painting, and a petting zoo alongside trunk-or-treat fun. Families can purchase ducks ahead of time through the website, securing their spot in the race before the big day arrives.