Mystery Of Cash Giving Yellow Ducks Has Been Solved And The Identity Of Donor Has Been Revealed
All over the world, people have been finding little yellow ducks with cash strapped to them in odd places. Sometimes they are the typical yellow rubber duck, but at other times they are handmade ducks made by those participating in the Little Yellow Duck Project.
People leave the ducks in places like on a cafe in Berlin, at an airport in Singapore, or at Esther Island in Alaska. Over the past eight months, the ducks have been found in 56 different countries including Peru, Australia, Japan, and Nigeria. As reported by Yahoo!, along with cash, which ranges from $15 to $80, there is a note attached to the duck that reads: “Hello. Please take me home. I was made with love just for you.”
There have been approximately 2,300 ducks that have been found worldwide since the project started. An invitation to learn about the project is included with the note and the project’s goal is to raise awareness about organ and tissue donation.
@YellowDuckProj this one is filed under D for duck! Emer the duck is waiting to be found… pic.twitter.com/yZ849OiUJ9
— Anna Sigler (@crochetonatrain) November 13, 2014
As reported by the Mirror, the inspiration behind the Little Yellow Duck Project has been identified as a grieving mother from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, in England. Ann Rowcliffe lost her daughter Clare, who is pictured, to cystic fibrosis as she was waiting for a new pair of lungs. She passed away at the age of 26.
Rowcliffe started giving ducks away to tell others about the importance of organ donation. “Clare was crazy about ducks. On the anniversary I handed them out with information on organ donation. Her friend set up the Little Yellow Duck Project.”
People who have received the ducks have turned around and donated them, along with cash, to others with the same note attached. One of the latest ducks to be found was in a Turkish restaurant in the town of Tonbridge, Kent. A 50 pound note was attached to the duck. One man who found a yellow duck with 10 pounds attached to it bought five lottery tickets, then left them with the duck in a secret spot for someone else to find.
When her daughter died, it was Clare’s own organ donation that spurred Rowcliffe to tell others about organ donation.
“Clare’s corneas were donated to a young man and woman so that they could see again. It was an incredible gift and it made me think about other ways I could honour Clare’s memory.”
Rowcliffe said her daughter would have been very pleased with the project. “I wish I could tell Clare that her collection and brave example have gone global. I know she’d be chuffed.”
As the Inquisitr reported, the Christmas season often brings out secret Santas and other random acts of kindness, but the yellow duck project gives people an opportunity to share with others year round.
[Image via The Little Yellow Duck Project/Facebook]
