The Annual Rubber Duck Derby, held to raise money for Agape House, will take place on June 7 at Ordnance Island, St George’s, it was announced yesterday.

Friends of Hospice is the charity that supports Agape House and hospice care in Bermuda, and they are also the organisers of the nineteenth annual event.

Friends of Hospice said yesterday that this was its biggest fundraising event of the year, and noted that Belco has sponsored the Rubber Duck Derby since its inception.

The goal for 2015 is to raise $150,000 to aid the charity.

Denton Williams, Belco’s chief operating officer, said funds raised through the derby have been used to fund a chef, a counsellor and art therapist, a volunteer companion programme, additional education for Agape House staff, as well as continuing infrastructure improvements to the facility.

The afternoon’s activities are scheduled to start at 2pm. There will be food stalls, a kiddie land with a bouncy castle, games and face painting, as well as baked goods, food vendors and live entertainment. The corporate duck race is the first race of the day, starting at 3pm.

This will be followed by the youth, “pamper me” and family races.

Mr Williams said: “It provides a fun way for the community to assist Agape House, the Island’s only inpatient hospice facility.”

Friends of Hospice chairman Dr Ian Fulton said: “Without the support every year from the Bermuda community, we would not be able to provide life-enhancing services to the patients and families of Agape House.

“We are committed to ensuring that everyone has the right to pass their final days with dignity, peace and comfort.”

Many of those who come through the doors of Agape House are facing the end of their life, said Cathy Belvedere, executive director of Friends of the Hospice, the charity that supports Agape House and the organiser of the Rubber Duck Derby.

“We have only one chance to get it right,” she said.

She explained that Agape House provides palliative care in Bermuda.

“While a cancer diagnosis remains the mainstay of patient admissions at Agape, there is a diverse mix of non-cancer, terminally sick patients.

“Some are there for a brief stay to address symptom management.

“Many, however, of those who come through the hospice doors, are facing end-of-life, and for them, we have only one chance to get it right — one chance to give them the physical, emotional and spiritual support that they and their families and friends need.”

She said Friends of the Hospice work in concert with Agape House staff to enhance the quality of life for each hospice patient through offering various free services such as personalised meals, complementary therapies in the way of massage and reflexology, bereavement counselling and art therapy. “Each of these services brings a sense of comfort to the families and friends of those patients and we are grateful to our cadre of volunteers who support us in our work.”

Ms Belvedere added: “Our day hospice, now in its fourth year, is thriving and we are at full capacity.

“We recently completed our ‘Companioning the Dying’ course where we had 27 dedicated participants attend for six weeks on a weekly basis.

“In early summer, we will be introducing a second Adult Day for Caregivers. Caregivers give so much of themselves without looking for compensation or thanks. Some work a full-time job, and are full-time caregivers to their family member or friend. This will provide them with an opportunity to de-stress — to be pampered and to share their journey with others.

“All of this is possible because of the generosity of our community of supporters for Rubber Duck Derby.

“At Friends of Hospice, we are truly committed to the belief that everyone has the right to pass their final days with dignity, peace, personalised care and comfort.”

• Rubber Duck Derby ticket locations can be found on the Friends of Hospice Facebook page or by calling Friends of Hospice at 232-0859.

Tickets are now on sale through June 5.