CHICAGO — A deluge of more than 90,000 rubber ducks poured out of a truck and into the Chicago River on Thursday, bobbing along a stretch of the skyscraper-lined waterway in the annual Chicago Ducky Derby, a fundraiser that this year set a new record for money raised on behalf of Special Olympics Illinois.

The truck dumped the ducks from one side of a half-raised bridge near Columbus Drive, sending a wave of yellow across the river. After forming a dense pool on the water, the ducks floated for roughly 15 minutes before organizers plucked a winner and runner-up from among the flotilla.

Organizers said 91,517 ducks were ultimately adopted this year, exceeding the event's target of 90,000 and helping push total fundraising to a record $700,000 for Special Olympics Illinois, according to figures released by CBS Chicago following the event. That total builds on nearly two decades of fundraising since the Ducky Derby began in 2005, with the event having now raised roughly $5.6 million cumulatively for the organization over that span.

The annual event draws thousands of participants both to the riverfront viewing areas and to an accompanying festival held beforehand at Pioneer Court, along North Michigan Avenue. At the festival, attendees snapped photos with oversized inflatable ducks, doodled responses on a........

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