Rubber duck race raises money for children's programs

ELIZABETH DODD ~ edodd@semissourian.com Casey Zimmerman, left, and Don Greenwood, both of Cape Girardeau, start the first duck race with the sponsor ducks Friday at the Ducks on the Mississippi event in downtown Cape Girardeau. About 700 ducks were part of the race, and proceeds went to Optimist International for Childhood Cancer and other local children's programs. The event was in honor of Janie Meyer, who died of cancer in May. Meyer was the president of the Esprit Optimist Club. [Click to enlarge]

Casey Zimmerman, left, and Don Greenwood, both of Cape Girardeau, start the first duck race with the sponsor ducks Friday at the Ducks on the Mississippi event in downtown Cape Girardeau. About 700 ducks were part of the race, and proceeds went to Optimist International for Childhood Cancer and other local children's programs. The event was in honor of Janie Meyer, who died of cancer in May. Meyer was the president of the Esprit Optimist Club.