Doing our Part
Quack-Quack Give Back!
Boston Duck Tours is grateful for our success in Boston. We make a sincere effort to share our good fortune with the community in which we live and work.
To date, Boston Duck Tours has donated over $1 million of Boston Duck Tours funds to charitable causes that focus on “Clean Water”, “Education”, and “Veterans”.
Clean Water
Because we operate in the Charles River, Boston Duck Tours is a major supporter of the Charles River Watershed Association, a non-profit organization that works with government agencies and other non-profit groups to improve the water quality and recreational potential of the Charles River.
In 2004, Boston Duck Tours became the first major financial supporter of a new volunteer organization, the Charles River Clean Up Boat. Volunteers use the boat to clean the river of floating trash. In addition to our financial support, in 2017 BDT’s CEO, Cindy Brown, COO, Jon Burke, and History Officer, Jim Healy took over running the Clean Up Boat when Founder Tom McNichol passed away. Boston Duck Tours employees have also volunteered to work on the boat.
Education
Every year, Boston Duck Tours visits numerous area schools to present educational programs on Boston’s history, as well as entrepreneurship. Special presentations are offered to veterans, business groups, and senior citizens. We have also served as mentors to students interested in pursuing a career in the travel industry.
Hundreds of school children learn to sail on the Charles River at Community Boating, the nation’s oldest public boating program, and a cause that we have supported for many years.
We are also charter members of the Student and Youth Travel Association (SYTA) an industry advocacy group. Our CEO, Cindy Brown, was co-Founder of the SYTA Youth Foundation, which has raised over $1.2 million for over 6,000 students who were awarded youth travel scholarships
The Bostonian Society has been a great partner as we share a love of local history and preservation. Each year we work together on a student essay contest with a cash award and free class Boston Duck Tour to the winners.
Boston Duck Tours is active in supporting local teachers through the Massachusetts Teachers Association and in honoring the Boston Teachers of the Year.
Veterans
Ducks (DUKWs) were built in the 1940s to be used in WWII. DUKWs played a crucial role in the allied invasions in Sicily, the Pacific, and the biggest invasion of all, D-Day. Each day as we run our amphibious tours on replica WWII vehicles, we honor the women who built them and the men who drove them in combat. Our Veterans hold a special place in our company, and we strive to pay tribute to them in every way we can. We offer discounted rates for Military personnel and their spouses. Each year we offer free rides to all Veterans during the week of Veteran’s Day. Any time a WWII Vet wants to take a tour, it’s on us.
In 2011 we became a major sponsor of the Run to Home Base – the Home Base Program (created and supported by the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital) will help to ensure that all veterans who served our country receive the clinical treatment they need for combat stress and/or traumatic brain injury, and that their families get the guidance and support they need. Not only will we support them with our dollars and marketing outreach, but we also have a group of dedicated employees raising money and running the 9K race. In addition, our CEO Cindy Brown serves on their Red, White and Blue Alliance Board.
In 2012 we added NEADS to our list of worthy causes. Since it was established in 1976, NEADS has placed over 2,000 Service Dogs with people with hearing loss or physical abilities. NEADS Service Dogs for Veterans program pairs highly trained NEADS dogs with qualified veterans of our armed services who could benefit from canine assistance. NEADS has matched over 100 Service Dogs with veterans since 2006, when the program began. Boston Duck Tours currently donates $2.00 for every military style rubber duck sold. These ducks are now affectionately known as the “Camo Duck”. We have donated over $23,488.30 to NEADS to date.
Boston Duck Tours also had the honor of naming and donating to the Pawsitively Strong Fund that provides Service Dogs to survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing who have sustained a permanent physical disability.
In 2013 we added the First Corps of Cadets Museum to our program. The First Corps of Cadets Museum houses priceless historic holdings including the first Confederate Flag captured in the Civil War, the weapons fired at Lexington and Concord, the pike from the Mayflower, the best US Army Weapons Collection in the world, a painting of John Hancock’s home on a panel from his front door, military uniforms from the Revolutionary War to present, etc. We are proud to support the Corps and their mission to preserve this great nation’s history.
Donations
Every year, Boston Duck Tours donates thousands of tickets to youth groups, senior citizens, and non-profit organizations. During the week of Veterans Day, any veteran or active duty member of the Armed Forces can take a Duck Tour free of charge. In addition, military personnel always receive a discounted ticket price. Donation requests are filled on a first come, first served basis beginning on January 1st of each year. Donations are allocated to organizations raising money for a good case through an event, raffle or silent auction. We do not offer monetary donations and reserve the right to deny a request for any reason.
Please Note – Feel free to now send in a request for a ticket donation for our 2024 season. We require:
1. Request must be on official letterhead
2. Return address MUST be included
*If we receive a donation request without this information, it will be discarded without notification due to the high volume of request that we receive. Also, to strengthen our local community, we only donate to organizations within New England. To reach the highest possible amount of organizations in need we only offer 2 tickets per request, per organization.
Boston Duck Tours
Attn: Donations Department
4 Copley Place
Suite 4155
Boston, MA 02116