SPANISH FORT, Ala.—Area residents looking to welcome fall with a little family fun while supporting a cause will find everything they need during Covenant Hospice’s second annual Turtle Derby Sept. 27 at Five Rivers Delta Resource Center.

The event offers online adoptions of rubber turtles for a suggested donation of $5 each, and the proceeds help offset the cost of hospice care for uninsured patients in the Mobile area.

The inaugural event drew more than 200 participants netting $10,000, and Jackie Crews, development manager for Pensacola, Fla.-based Covenant’s Mobile office, anticipates the 1,000-turtle race will repeat or exceed last year’s success.

Crews said she and her staff wanted to create a family-friendly event that takes advantage of the area’s abundant natural resources while offering a more affordable way for everyday residents to contribute to the cause.

“Ticket prices for so many silent auctions and galas can be so high, and we wanted to create a fun and affordable event,” said Crews, who found her inspiration for via rubber-duck derbies nationwide that attract as many as 10,000 participants.

Then, when she began scouting for locations, Crews stumbled upon Five Rivers in Spanish Fort and knew the venue would be perfect for the event, but she said Manager Hank Burch suggested a turtle theme to honor the area’s indigenous red-bellied turtle — the official state reptile — population instead.

“Even though the Mobile Bay area is surrounded by water, it’s difficult to find a location with plenty of space (for participants) to watch, good parking and a real festival atmosphere. Five Rivers was perfect,” Crews said.

Once she learned the Spanish Fort facility houses a protected area for the red-bellied turtle, Crews said the Turtle Derby concept crystallized, and Burch has since created Turtle Week leading up to the event to showcase the creatures and their habitat.

Indeed, Five Rivers invites residents and visitors to explore one of the oldest reptiles in existence with hands-on activities, live specimens, a nature hike to view a turtle nest and boat rides on the Mobile-Tensaw Delta.

In fact, a free class for the first 20 participants will be offered Sept. 26 for third- through fifth-graders from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. as part of Turtle Week, followed the next day by the derby, being hailed as a “shellabration.”

Sponsorships have declined for this year’s event, Crews said, due primarily to the soured economy, but she is hopeful area businesses will step in within the next few weeks to help make the event a success.

Registration for the event begins at noon with adoptions available until 1:30 p.m. The race begins at 2 p.m., and the top three prizes include a weekend getaway package for two to Isle Casino in Biloxi; a University of Alabama football autographed by Nick Saban; and a one-night stay for two at the Battle House, a Renaissance Hotel and Spa.

Five Rivers will also be offering $5, 30-minute Delta safari tours beginning at 10 a.m., and the Mobile Bay Kayak Fishing Association has volunteered to help round up straggling rubber turtles following the awards ceremony.

For more information about the event or to adopt a turtle, visit www.covenanthospice.org or call (251) 478-8671.