Are all ducks created equal? According to the Kiwanis Club of Glendale the answer is, "Yes."

And I quote, "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all ducks are created equal, that they are endowed by their sponsors with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of the finish line."

No quacks, please!

It is that time of the year again: Tens of thousands of rubber ducks will be up for adoption beginning Wednesday, Aug. 1, as part of the third annual duck race, set for Oct. 20. You can sponsor a duck for $5 and the proceeds go to charity

The Kiwanis' Incredible Duck Splash (or KIDS), presented by the Glendale Kiwanis Club, is expected to generate $150,000 for some 75 non-profit organizations and charities.

"It has been a very beneficial event not only in funds raised ... It's brought the community together," said Vic Legerton, a Kiwanis club member responsible for the adoption of 30,000 to 50,000 yellow rubber ducks. "Our goal in three to five more years is to raise $500,000 for all the groups participating."

Tens of thousands of toy ducks will race to the finish line on Saturday, Oct. 20, to earn great prizes for their "adoptive" owners at Lake Glendale in Verdugo Park, 1621 Canada Blvd. (across the street from Glendale Community College). The top prize is $10,000, followed by nine $1,000 winners.

There is also a chance to win $1 million. For every 10,000 ducks adopted in this race, three will be randomly selected as potential million-dollar winners. If one of these ducks crosses the finish line in a predetermined position (13th in this race), they win.

The beneficiaries of the event are primarily children and youth in Glendale (including schools, Glendale Association for the Retarded, Glendale Educational Foundation and Glendale Healthy Kids) and neighboring cities throughout the county.

This will be the first year that participating groups will get to keep the entire proceeds thanks to the many sponsors who will be covering the cost of the operation.

The race has netted about $110,000 to different charitable causes in the area for the past two years.

Up to 5,000 people are expected to attend the charity event, to be held from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The event will also include games, entertainment, food and beverages.

"We've really focused on a nice family event," said Ron Baker, event chairman. "The kids love to see these thousands of rubber ducks going down this waterway ... they go nuts.

"It's a nice event for the family to go to and you know it's going to a good cause."

For more information, visit www.ducks4kids.org.