Little Yellow Duck Project

{{Short description|UK project raising awareness of organ donation}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

File:Little Yellow Duck Isambardina.jpg

{{Use British English|date=September 2014}}

The Little Yellow Duck Project is a UK-based international project started in 2014 to raise consciousness of the need for organ, stem cell and blood donors and to encourage small random acts of kindness. 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.{{cite web|title=Home|url=http://thelittleyellowduckproject.org/|publisher=Little Yellow Duck Project|accessdate=26 July 2014}}

The project was started by British woman Emma Harris in memory of her friend Clare Cruickshank, who died from cystic fibrosis aged 26 on 15 April 2013 while waiting for a double lung transplant. Cruickshank had collected rubber ducks during her life, and this inspired the project.{{cite journal|title=The Little Yellow Duck Project|journal=Knit Now Magazine|date=May 2014|page=8|url=https://www.dropbox.com/s/atp5uztd5t0mnue/KN35%20P08.pdf|accessdate=26 July 2014}} It has received international media coverage including crafting blogs and websites,{{cite web|last1=Davies|first1=Stephanie|title=The Little Yellow Duck Project|url=http://abagfullofcrochet.co.za/the-little-yellow-duck-project/|publisher=A bag full of crochet|accessdate=26 July 2014|location=South Africa|date=15 July 2014}}{{cite web|title=The Little Yellow Duck Project|url=http://www.unikatissima.de/e/?p=8661|publisher=Unikatissima's compilation of tutorials|accessdate=26 July 2014|location=Germany|date=25 July 2014}} knitting magazines, and an Australian radio show.{{cite web|last1=Fuller|first1=Kelly|title=Rosie, the Little Knitted Duck|url=http://blogs.abc.net.au/nsw/2014/07/rosie-the-little-yellow-duck.html?site=newengland&program=new_england_mornings|publisher=ABC New England North West|accessdate=26 July 2014|date=22 July 2014}}

The project was launched on 15 April 2014, the first anniversary of Cruickshank's death,{{cite web|last1=Harris|first1=Emma|title=It's little yellow duck day!|url=http://thelittleyellowduckproject.org/2014/04/its-little-yellow-duck-day/|publisher=Little Yellow Duck Project|accessdate=26 July 2014|date=15 April 2014|archive-date=21 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321122728/https://thelittleyellowduckproject.org/2014/04/its-little-yellow-duck-day/|url-status=dead}} and as of 24 April 2023 14,042 ducks had been recorded in 96 countries.{{cite web|title=World Map|url=http://thelittleyellowduckproject.org/world-map/|publisher=Little Yellow Duck Project|accessdate=29 April 2023}} Earlier records had shown up to 107 countries,{{cite web |title=World Map |url=https://thelittleyellowduckproject.org/world-map/ |publisher=The Little Yellow Duck Project |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321122727/https://thelittleyellowduckproject.org/world-map/ |archive-date=21 March 2022 |date=20 March 2022}} Archived version shows 107 countries but the system was revised in March 2022 to include only sovereign countries, excluding, for example, the Isle of Man.{{cite web |title=New Country Count |url=https://thelittleyellowduckproject.org/2022/03/new-country-count/ |website=thelittleyellowduckproject.org |publisher=The Little Yellow Duck Project |access-date=29 April 2023 |date=31 March 2022}}