The Little Yellow Duck Project is a UK-based international project started in 2014 to raise consciousness of the need for

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

stem cell In multicellular organisms, stem cells are undifferentiated or partially differentiated cells that can change into various types of cells and proliferate indefinitely to produce more of the same stem cell. They are the earliest type of cell ...

and blood donors and to encourage small

random acts of kindness A random act of kindness is a nonpremeditated, inconsistent action designed to offer kindness towards the outside world. The phrase "random kindness and senseless acts of beauty" was written by Anne Herbert on a placemat in Sausalito, California in ...

. Participants are invited to knit, crochet or otherwise create small yellow ducks and then leave them in public places to be found by strangers. Each duck has a tag introducing the project, often naming the duck, and encouraging the finder to log on to the project website. There they can record the finding of the duck and learn more about the need for organ, stem cell and blood donors and how to become one. The project was started by British woman Emma Harris in memory of her friend Clare Cruickshank, who died from

cystic fibrosis Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder inherited in an autosomal recessive manner that impairs the normal clearance of Sputum, mucus from the lungs, which facilitates the colonization and infection of the lungs by bacteria, notably ''Staphy ...

aged 26 on 15 April 2013 while waiting for a double lung transplant. Cruickshank had collected

rubber duck A rubber duck, or a rubber duckie, is a toy shaped like a duck, that is usually yellow with a flat base. It may be made of rubber or rubber-like material such as vinyl plastic. Rubber ducks were invented in the late 19th century when it became ...

s during her life, and this inspired the project. It has received international media coverage including crafting blogs and websites, knitting magazines, and an Australian radio show. The project was launched on 15 April 2014, the first anniversary of Cruickshank's death, and as of 24 April 2023 14,042 ducks had been recorded in 96 countries. Earlier records had shown up to 107 countries, but the system was revised in March 2022 to include only sovereign countries, excluding, for example, the

Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...

References

External links

* Knitting organizations Stuffed toys Ducks Cystic fibrosis Organ donation Blood donation {{UK-org-stub