The Great Rotovegas Duck Race was a fundraising effort to raise funds to build a recording studio.

Rotorua Community Youth Centre hosted an invasion of yellow ducks on the 26th of May 2007 at the Puarenga Stream.

Three thousand numbered plastic ducks were released into the stream at the Scion bridge in the Sala St reserve on Saturday in what was dubbed the Great Rotovegas Duck Race.

The event raised about $8500 for Da Bomb Shelter youth centre.

Da Bomb Shelter manager Steve Holmes said the event was fun-packed, with hundreds of families turning out in the hope the yellow duck they had purchased would be one of the first nine through the rapids and across the finish line.

That honour went to Dr Kierin Irvine who won an accommodation package at Auckland’s Hyatt Regency Hotel, plus spending money.

“It was a very successful day. Everyone had a lot of fun,” he said.

Money raised would be used to develop a creative arts centre for the youth centre, Mr Holmes said.

“It’s for recording equipment and other things needed for the creative arts centre,” he said.

Other prizes included a 32-inch wide-screen LCD TV, an XBox 360, a PSP console pack, Sony midi system, Phillips Gogear, a 1GB Mp3 player and cash.

The weekend’s race was so successful it could become a regular fundraising venture for the Da Bomb Shelter, Mr Holmes said.

“I’ll be discussing it with the committee. We raised the money we needed and people had a fun day out.”

(Credit: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-daily-post/news/race-a-success-waddle-they-do-next/5KKRE6QJOMLYBWHJHXSLFKICBY/)