WACO, Texas (KWTX) – Waco’s Imagination Library held its second annual rubber duck race in the Brazos River to fund its operation of providing free books to children under the age of five.

Waco’s Imagination Library is a branch of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Parton started the organization in Tennessee in 1995. It has since expanded to other cities.

The organization provides free reading materials to children. Any resident in a Waco zip code can sign up to receive a free children’s book each month until their child turns five.

Kevin Baker, co-founder of The Imagination Library of Waco, said the annual duck race fundraiser is essential to the organization’s operation.

“This is how we pay for our program every year,” Baker said.

Baker said the fundraiser was also about raising awareness for the program.

“Some people don’t know they can get free children’s books,” Baker said. “So we want to make sure that all children can get free children’s books and that all of our children grow up in a home where they have access to children’s books.”

Local businesses competed to sell the most ducks for the race. Restaurant Casa De Castillo won first place by selling more than 2,700 ducks.

Casa De Castillo owner Mary Lou Castillo said that as a former educator, the mission of the Waco Imagination Library was important to her.

“Anything to do with reading in general in low-income neighborhoods, that’s huge for me,” Castillo said. “And it’s easy to sell.” Tell people about it? Easy. People are just donating money left and right.

Casa De Castillo also sold the most ducks last year.

The Waco Imagination Library has sold out of all 12,000 ducks available for purchase.

The ducks were sold for $5 each. The organization raised more than $60,000.

The winner of the rubber duck race received $1,500.

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