A thousand yellow rubber ducks were poured into the Water of Leith from the St David St bridge at noon yesterday, for the University of Otago International Department and Confucius Institute's Spring Festival and Chinese New Year celebrations.
Tickets were sold for the numbered ducks, raising more than $1000 for the Otago SPCA.
Grocery vouchers were awarded to those who backed the first three ducks across the line.
Otago SPCA business development manager Kirsty Thomson said while the results were a little embarrassing, she assured the Otago Daily Times she bought the ticket for the winning duck ''fair and square''.
She was delighted to receive the $1000 fundraising donation, and the $50 grocery gift voucher for winning the race.
She said she would use the grocery voucher to buy kitten food for the Otago SPCA, because it had 50 kittens on site and a further 80 kittens waiting for adoption.
''It's been a very successful day for us.''
