The 35th annual Rubber Duckie Race and Festival will be held on Sunday, Sept. 10, at Lancaster County Central Park, 1050 Rockford Road, Lancaster. The rain-or-shine festival will take place from 2 to 5:30 p.m., and the rubber duckie race will begin at 5 p.m. A variety of food and beverages will be available to purchase from more than a dozen food trucks during the event.

The festival will feature a variety of games and activities such as arts and crafts stations, traditional carnival games and face painting. Participants will have a chance to win prizes at each game, including books, stuffed animals, bracelets and small toys. Members of the 4-H club will offer pony rides for children. There will be no charge to attend the festival, but attendees will need to purchase tickets to partake in the games and activities.

At 5 p.m., more than 10,000 rubber ducks will be dropped into the Conestoga River for the traditional race and primary attraction of the festival. Ducks may be adopted online ahead of the event or on the day of the race, and each owner of a racing duck will be entered into a drawing for cash prizes and gift cards. Sponsorships are also available for the race; sponsors and those who adopt a duck will receive a souvenir duckie to take home, which will include limited-edition Halloween- and back-to-school-themed ducks. To adopt a duck or to become a sponsor, visit http://www.schreiberpediatric.org/events/duckies.

Since the festival began 35 years ago, it has cemented its role as a beloved tradition in the community, and it draws more than 1,000 attendees each year. The event serves as one of the largest yearly fundraisers for Schreiber Center for Pediatric Development, 625 Community Way, Lancaster. The funds raised from ticket sales and duck sponsorships are used to cover the organization's operational expenses and cost of treatment for patients who cannot pay in full. The price of adopting 15 ducks will cover the cost of one hour of a patient's uncompensated treatment. "We never turn a client away based on their ability to pay," said Kristen Masengarb, associate director of fund development for Schreiber. "As an organization, we lose an average of $75 per hour of treatment that isn't covered by insurance or Medicaid."

Additionally, the funds raised by the Rubber Duckie Race and Festival will help Schreiber to complete its ongoing expansion project, which will entail moving its operation to a larger facility on its current premises. The new building will allow more space for treatments such as physical, occupational and speech therapy, as well as increase Schreiber's availability to see patients on its waiting list. The organization expects to fully relocate to the new facility in the fall.

For more information or to become a volunteer for the festival, visit the aforementioned website or email Masengarb at kmasengarb@schreiberpediatric.org.