Special Olympics Illinois named Becky Cavanagh, of Clarendon Hills, as this year's Ducky Derby ambassador. Cavanagh, a 13-year Special Olympics athlete, held up the winning duck to cheers from crowds packed along both sides of the river once it was retrieved from the water. Asked what she enjoyed most about her involvement with Special Olympics, Cavanagh said her favorite part was "making new friends." Special Olympics Illinois organizes athletic competitions across the state for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, offering programming that is free of charge to all participating athletes. Pete Beale-DelVecchio, president of Special Olympics Illinois, said ahead of the race that the derby has become a meaningful annual tradition for the organization and the athletes it serves.