LGH Foundation duck race a success

Although threatening skies forced Ste. Anne de Bellevue to cancel its street fair during the day, the rain held out and the ducks were all dumped into the Ste. Anne just before 7 p.m., right on time.

With the help of the Pointe Claire Rescue team – which was lending the plastic ducks a hand by spraying them with a hose from a boat – they slowly but surely made their way to the finish line. Members of the Lakeshore Volunteer Rescue squad kept their eyes open on the boardwalk above, to make sure the crowd cheering for the ducks stayed safe. The Duck Race’s mascot, Lakeshore Louis, could be seen entertaining kids, dancing along to live music, and even helping an elderly woman cross the street.

After a 30-minute hard-fought race through the lock, the first ducks started crossing the finish at about 7:30 p.m. In all, 30 prizes were announced, including the grand prize Dodge Caliber, a trip to Jamaica, a 50-inch television, and dance lessons, among many others.

The 2008 edition of the event raised over $74,000 for the LGH Foundation, beating last year’s $70,000 total. The money will go towards much-needed improvements to the hospital’s emergency department. “It really turned out perfect,” said Silvana Orrino, the Foundation’s executive director. “We’re very grateful the community came out and shared the day with us.”