Fundraiser involving rubber ducks cancelled, legality questioned
WAUKESHA (WITI) -- A fundraiser for the arts in Waukesha is creating a bit of controversy, and it all centers around yellow rubber duckies.
Volunteers thought it was a good idea, and worked long and hard on it over the summer.
This Saturday, October 5th the West End Arts Association was going to launch hundreds of rubber ducks and race them in the Fox River to raise money for charity -- until they found out doing so may be illegal.
The group planned to use rock and roll themed rubber duckies. One with an electric guitar was meant to honor Waukesha's hometown inventor, Les Paul, who perfected the solid body electric guitar.
The West End Arts Association loved the idea of having the ducks race for charity when Jeffrey Homer floated the idea months ago to sell the ducks and have them race down the Fox River for prizes.
That is, until some started raising concerns that this is gambling and against state law.
"If we're meeting the criteria to be illegal, I don't think I can do it openly and defiantly," Homer said.
Homer contacted the state Department of Administration to check, but never got a clear go-ahead.
The DNR has given verbal consent for any concerns about the river, but even if the money went to help Waukesha's art crawls and a charity to help disabled people participate in art -- that didn't help get the duck idea to fly.
So now, there will be an effort to change the law so the inaugural rubber duck fundraiser can happen next year.
The group plans to talk to its state legislator.
Meanwhile, the positive that has come out of this is as the West End Art Association gives back the money they've raised, many are buying T-shirts to keep the cause afloat.
The group hopes to launch the ducks for its inaugural duck race in August of 2014 -- if the law can be changed.