Try your luck and pluck a duck

The Boys & Girls Club of Elgin will host its annual "Duck Pluck" at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11, at Festival Park, off Grove Avenue in downtown Elgin.

Starting as a duck race on the Fox River 11 years ago, the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin began having a Duck Pluck in the fountain in Festival Park in 2007.

"It was actually the idea of the SEIU guys that help us every year," said Cheryl Wendt from the Boys & Girls Club.

"The river was too high and we could not safely have the duck race. The new fountain offered a wonderful opportunity to be able to involve kids from the community as well. They actually go into the fountain and pluck out the winning ducks!"

As the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin, the Duck Pluck offers prizes to the lucky ducks that are plucked from the 10,000 quackers that fill the fountain.

It only costs $10 for a duck adoption, or you can upgrade to a quack pack for $25 or a flock for $100. Ducks can be adopted at various duck events or online at www.elginducks.com.

The Duck Pluck is sponsored by Comcast, Gilmore Marketing Concepts, Hoffer Foundation, Lamp Inc., Shales McNutt Construction, SEIU, and Wells Fargo Advisors.

The Boys & Girls Club of Elgin opened its doors to at-risk youth Nov. 9, 1993. Now operating out of the new Education & Enrichment Center and three area middle schools, the club supports more than 1,400 members with life-changing programs. It strives for measurable impact in the areas of academic success, healthy lifestyles, and good character and citizenship.

The Education & Enrichment Center, 355 Dundee Ave., is open during the summer from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. To learn more about the programs at the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin or to make a donation, visit boysandgirlsclubofelgin.org.