Turtles Race for Minn. Children’s Hospital

MINNEAPOLIS - At Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital, 50 turtles competed for three hours. They raise about $20,000 for toys, games and movies to keep the kids inside more at home.

It's all for a good cause and really means a lot to the patients, especially to one little boy.

Since February, Riley Stearns world has been a hospital room. And since early April, he has been connected permanently to a machine because Stearns’ heart is half destroyed by an infection.

Last year, the derby raised more than $20,000 and the proceeds were used to support multiple pediatric programs.

Participants sponsor turtles that will race until there is a single winner to be named The Grandest Turtle of All for 2009. Prizes are awarded to the sponsor of the Grandest Turtle of All, to the runners-up and to the sponsor contributing the most money to sponsor a turtle.