A Colossal Inflatable Duck Takes Over a Park in Farmington for Charity

A Colossal Inflatable Duck Takes Over a Park in Farmington for Charity

If you happen to pass by a park in Farmington this week, you might be surprised to find a colossal inflatable duck towering over you. But don’t worry, it’s not the beginning of a new B-movie horror flick, it’s there for a good cause.

Local social service agency, CARES, organized a novelty rubber duck race down the Rouge River near Shiawassee Park as a way of raising funds for its vital food pantry. This notable event even featured a huge, six-story-tall traveling rubber duck puffed up at Shiawassee Park throughout the week, drawing curious onlookers from around Farmington.

Claimed to be the “world’s biggest duck”, this behemoth of an inflatable bird weighs a staggering 15 tons. As if this wasn’t enough to raise eyebrows and heart rates, around 8,000 tiny rubber ducks were unleashed into the nearby Rouge River on Wednesday as part of the fun.

While the final tally from the fundraising event hasn’t been released yet, the goal for this hardworking organization is clear. CARES needs to raise around $14,000 every month to cover the cost of distributing food to nearly 750 families living across local communities such as Farmington, Farmington Hills, Livonia, Northville, Novi, Redford Township, Southfield and West Bloomfield Township.

Run by CARES, the food pantry and a tiny grocery store servicing those in need are located on the grounds of the old St. Alexander’s Catholic church on Shiawassee Street in Farmington. It just goes to show that from the quack-tacular to the downright heartwarming, there are plenty of innovative ways to help our communities thrive.