The Center for Prevention of Abuse is expecting an increase in duck sales for the 20th annual Duck Race, thanks in part to a chance for one lucky person to win a shiny new gas-efficient vehicle.

The grand prize winner of this year’s Duck Race will win a 2008 Chevy Cobalt, courtesy of Jim McComb Chevrolet.

“We thought it was timely to go with the gas-price crisis everyone has been dealing with, and the Cobalt is supposed to be good on gas, too,” said Emily Cahill, marketing director for the Center for Prevention of Abuse.

There are more than 30 top prizes to win at the Duck Race, including: a 50-inch plasma HDTV with surround sound, a Las Vegas vacation, overnight getaways to area hotels and restaurants, season tickets for local theaters and free movie rentals and pizza for a year.

This year’s Duck Race will be Aug. 24 at the Peoria Riverfront in front of Old Chicago. The goal for this year’s race is 15,000 ducks, and the center is more than halfway there.

The organization is facing state and federal budget cuts upwards of $200,000, so the more ducks sold, the better the long-term financial outlook for 2009.

“A successful Duck Race will help us close the gap and provide services for the next 365 days without worry,” Cahill said.

The Center for Prevention of Abuse is the only agency in the state of Illinois to provide combined services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault/abuse and elder abuse.

The center takes in about 15 new clients each day, including more than 4,000 women, men and children affected by violence and more than 15,000 at-risk students each year.

“Those are serious issues which are tough to talk about, but the ducks are a non-threatening way to confront it and help bring awareness,” Cahill said.

Cahill added many people will reach out to the center’s staff at events like the Duck Race to talk about their own situations with violence.

“I think they feel more comfortable there and people aren’t staring at them or judging them,” she said.

The idea for the Duck Race came from an Arizona company renting out the ducks to charitable organizations, and the Center for Prevention of Abuse was one of the first groups to take on the fundraiser.

“Everyone is always excited for the race and wanting to adopt a duck several months before we even give out details, so it gives us some name recognition,” Cahill said.

There are still plenty of ducks to be adopted and the Center for Prevention of Abuse is making sure people have several ways to get in on the fun and the chance to win prizes.

Duck race volunteers will be at the following locations: from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at Wal-Mart on University St. in Peoria; from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at both Wal-Mart on Allen Road in Peoria and Wal-Mart in Washington.

There will also be a duck adoption booth featured at Erin Feis the weekend of Aug. 22.

To learn more about the prizes available or a chance to adopt a duck electronically, visit www.duckrace.com/peoria.