The annual Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby dumped more than 30,000 rubber ducks into the Chicago River in an effort to raise money for the Illinois Special Olympics on Thursday.

The event attracts crowds to the river, without having to dye it green.  Chicago’s Metropolitan Water Reclamation District assisted the annual summer event, where on-lookers can sponsor a duck and possibly win prizes.

A little after 1 p.m., half of the Columbus Drive bridge was raised and a du(ck)mp truck dumped the yellow critters donning sunglasses on the bright, and clear-skied day.  The ducks were coaxed with a fire hose and a long floating boom to the finishing line at the Michigan Avenue bridge.

Photos by Elliott Ramos