A POPULAR event that puts the fun into fundraising returns next month.

The much-loved Harry's Duck Race day is back for its 15th year, on Sunday, September 1, the annual event will be raising funds for Hope House Tŷ Gobaith children's hospices in memory of Harry Jones.

Supported by family and friends, the event is hosted by Julia, Jeff, Sam and Charlie Jones of Wrexham, to honour their late son and brother, Harry, who died aged four in 2005 after suffering cardiac arrhythmia in his sleep.

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After his death the family went to stay in the special Snowflake Suite at Hope House in Oswestry.

The Snowflake Suite is a dedicated bedroom, lounge and private garden where families can say goodbye to their children after they have died, in their own time and in their own way. The family also accessed bereavement counselling through the hospice.

Mum Julia, said: "This is an event we look forward to as a family and as a community. Harry would have loved it.

"Thanks to the community and our sponsors, we managed to raise over £3,000 for the hospices at the last event."

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Last year the race saw more than 1,000 ducks take to the waters of the River Alyn in 15 heats and a grand final.

The event takes place at Pontblyddyn Cricket Club, Mold, from 11.30am, and the first ducks will hit the water at noon sharp. People are welcome at the cricket club from 11.30am onwards to join in the fun and activities. There will be market stalls, face painting, a barbecue, raffle, bar and of course the judging of the best-dressed big duck competition.

Some of the creative ducks in 2023.

Some of the creative ducks in 2023.

There are two sizes of duck available for purchase and entrants with the larger ducks are encouraged to name and decorate their aquatic friends and even put them in fancy dress. Past entries have seen Batman, Cookie Monster, Sherlock Holmes and Diana Ross battling it out.

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Julia added: "We will have the Deputy Mayoress attending to do the judging of the fancy dress and start the races.

"We are hoping for some fine weather again, although we have done it in all conditions."

The day is supported by several local firms including RM Hadfield Haulage, CCP Building Products, Village Bakery, Nick's Meat & Cheese and Gerrard's Bakery.

You can buy baby ducks for just £1 each on Julia's Just Giving page: tinyurl.com/mrw9r4hz or the king-sized ducks to dress up and enter in the competition here direct from Hope House: tinyurl.com/yc64v9c6