West Virginia American Water, the United Way of Central West Virginia and the City of Charleston today announced the return of The Great Rubber Duck Race to be held on Saturday, September 4. Formerly a signature event of the City’s crown-jewel Regatta Festival, West Virginia American Water’s title sponsorship will back bring this United Way fundraiser after a 16-year hiatus.
“American Water’s mascot is Puddles the rubber duck, so we are very excited to be the title sponsor of the Great Rubber Duck Race to support a wonderful organization like the United Way,” said Robert Burton, president of West Virginia American Water. “This event is a great way to engage the community as we safely return to normalcy while also bringing visitors to the City of Charleston.”
The United Way of Central West Virginia will sell 5,000 rubber ducks for $5 each leading up to the race during Labor Day weekend in Charleston. The rubber ducks will be dropped from the South Side Bridge that connects Downtown Charleston to South Hills, and the first duck to reach the shore will be the grand prize winner. Large cash prizes and other awards for winners will be announced at a later date.
“United Way of Central West Virginia is honored to partner with West Virginia American Water to bring back The Great Rubber Duck Race,” said Margaret Ann O’Neal, president of the United Way of Central West Virginia. “Proceeds from this event will be used to support the health, education, financial stability and safety net programs that are vital to our communities. Community partners like West Virginia American Water are a huge reason we are able to continue this important work.”
“As we begin to emerge from the pandemic, it is exciting to see events like The Great Rubber Duck Race come back to the Capital City,” said Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin. “We are excited to partner with the United Way and West Virginia American Water to bring back this classic event.”
Additional information about The Great Rubber Duck Race can be found at www.duckrace.com/charleston.
West Virginia American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water services to approximately 545,000 people. With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to 15 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to help make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
West Virginia American Water Media Contact:
Megan Hannah, External Affairs Manager
Megan.Hannah@amwater.com
Mobile: (304) 380-8455
www.westvirginiaamwater.com
City of Charleston Media Contact:
Mackenzie Spencer, Communications Specialist
Mackenzie.spencer@cityofcharleston.org
Mobile: (304) 881-1282
www.charlestonwv.gov
United Way of Central West Virginia Media Contact:
Kristi Wheeler, Resource Development Director
kwheeler@unitedwaycwv.org
Mobile: (304) 590-6841
www.unitedwaycwv.org