Orange County's "Swimming for Patriotism" Rubber Ducky Derby

Q&A with Marisa Charette, Business Alliance of Orange County, CEO and President

Marisa Charette is CEO and president of the Business Alliance of Orange County (BAOC), an organization in Southern California dedicated to building a vibrant regional economy. BAOC’s first county-wide event – the “Swimming for Patriotism” Rubber Ducky Derby - kicked-off on Saturday, July 2nd, the first of four “swim-offs” to be held through 2011 – 2012.

I had a chance to chat with Marisa about the ducky derby, getting her insights into why community events are important, and how to make them happen.

Q: What made you think of a ducky derby as a community event?

A: When Patriots Federal Credit Union (PFCU) and I decided we wanted to do a program together, the first thing that came to mind was to promote patriotism. What events can we promote for that? “Swimming for Patriotism” and the rubber ducky derby came to mind, and the program developed from there.

Q: Why are community events important?

A: For BAOC, community events are important because the success of our members depends on the community. One of the best ways to increase membership visibility throughout the community, in this case all of Orange County, not just a city, is to hold fun events that everyone will enjoy. These events are opportunities for the community to support businesses and vice-versa.

Q: How do you put the events together?

A: It’s a lot of work to plan, coordinate, and execute events, so the first thing to do is to put a team together. First you decide what the event is about, then develop a plan, and figure out how it’s going to work. You have to plan and strategize.

If possible, we hire an event person and a PR person. Ideas are a dime a dozen, but it’s the implementation that counts. Event coordinators have the knowledge of what needs to be done ahead of time with permits and the infrastructure that needs to be put together. The PR person helps with promotion, by notifying local media outlets.

The hardest part is the day of the event. You needs lots of volunteers, who you’ve never worked with before, and train them quickly on what they will do.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish with the ducky derby swim-offs?

A: When it comes to the Rubber Ducky Derby, the first priority is to promote PFCU and BAOC, and to let the community know we put this together for the benefit of the community. Once that point is made, the next is to promote the benefactor and to raise funds. Our benefactor for the Rubber Ducky Derby is Homefront America (HFA), a non-profit that supports military families. We want to make sure we raise money for HFA. The third priority is to make sure the event is well run and enjoyed by the community, so they’ll come back for future events.

Q: Will the swim-offs be held again?

A: Our goal is to have this be an annual affair, and to have it grow with each event, year after year.

Q: What is the most enjoyable aspect of sponsoring the rubber ducky derby?

A: For me, the most enjoyable is planning and executing the event. I like putting together a successful team of experienced professionals, and seeing the event come to fruition.