Cha-chinga!
Traditional festival fundraiser pulls in $16,000
Staff writer
St. Luke Hospital Foundation’s annual Dinky Duck fundraiser Saturday was expected to raise about $16,000 during Chingawassa Days, according to foundation marketing director Keri Collett.
More than $9,000 had been raised through sponsorships before the event, and about 1,800 ducks were sold, Collett said.
If the estimate holds, proceeds would exceed last year’s roughly $15,000 and continue growth from about $9,000 raised two years ago.
The fundraiser has been part of Chingawassa Days for about 35 years.
It originally featured ducks racing in flowing water in Luta Creek before organizers moved the event to a Central Park fountain.
Unlike the hospital foundation’s annual gala, which typically supports a specific project, Dinky Duck proceeds generally support the foundation’s broader efforts to assist St. Luke Hospital.
Past foundation-supported projects have included transportation vehicles for St. Luke Living Center residents and expansion of physical therapy facilities.