Harrisburg firefighters and police battle it out in Giant Rubber Duck Race

Article courtesy of PennLive.com
Photos by Sean Simmers
Written by Sue Gleiter

Harrisburg’s finest battled it out in one wild and wet competition.

Members of the Harrisburg Fire Department and Police Department over lunch on Wednesday slid down Walnut Street in oversized inflatable rubber ducks.

The race was part of the kick off to the summer’s “Discover the Ducks” which encompasses an outdoor display of artist decorated fiberglass rubber ducks as well as various summer activities in the city.

Fifteen 40-inch tall decorated ducks are on display throughout the city. Discover Ducks is a partnership between the Downtown Improvement District and Sprocket Mural Works, a group coordinating the artists. The exhibit is similar to last summer’s Dino Mite Summer when nearly two dozen decorated dinosaurs were on display throughout the city.

For the duck race, the street was lined with a clear plastic “slip n slide” material and filled with water from nearby fire hydrants.

Hundreds of spectators gathered along Walnut Street to witness the race as well as a smaller-scale rubber duck race. The event raised $4,000 for the Harrisburg Fire Department.

The winner of the small rubber duck race, Leah Mull, of Harrisburg donated her prize of $1,000 back to the fire department.

In the end, the police department won the rubber duck raft race. For their efforts, both the fire and police departments will be treated to free doughnuts and coffee for one month from Anna Rose Bakery & Coffee Shop in Harrisburg.