Sky Ranch will become Sky Ranch Downs for one day next week as Sterling Rotary Club prepares for the Second Annual Running of the Ducks.

The event, scheduled for 4 p.m. Sept. 7 at Sky Ranch west of Sterling, is an annual fundraiser for the Rotary Club.

As part of the festivities, a number of rubber ducks have been decorated and costumed and are on display at Sterling Creatives in downtown Sterling. Members of the public are invited stop in at Sterling Creatives and to vote on a "People's Choice" ballot for their favorite. The ducks later will be judged by an expert panel of judges, with a $50 award going to the winning duck.

Entries for the race closed on Wednesday, but there will be plenty of fun and excitement for anyone who wants to watch. And the patio at Sky Ranch will be open for race-goers to buy food and drinks and enjoy the festivities as the winners of the race and the Decorate the Duck contest are announced.

The race is being staged in good fun, of course, but the funds raised will go to some very serious causes. Club president Dennis Foxhoven said proceeds from the duck race will go toward the Rotary Picnic Area, part of the City of Sterling's river front project, and to the Sterling Community Fund. The group raised more than $6,000 for community projects last year with its first ever duck race.

"We know there is a lot of need in our community, and Rotary is dedicated to making our community better in any way we can," Foxhoven said. "Our board and our members are constantly assessing the needs in the community and identifying where we can make the greatest impact for the greatest good."

As with any good cause, Running of the Ducks wouldn't be possible without sponsors. This year those sponsors are Jim and Cindy Horner, Nichols Tillage Tools, Horizon Motorsports, Dr. Kimberly Sutter, Crest Motel, Tennant Funeral Home and Crematory, Edward Jones Investments-Pam Werner, Performance Plus, Wright Law Firm, N.E. Agri-Services, and Bank of the West.