Article via The Beacon | CATAWBA ISLAND – Thanks to Ottawa County Improvement Corporation (OCIC), the local business, nonprofit and education worlds come together once a year to highlight their causes and support each other’s initiatives during Experience Ottawa County. The annual event, which was held on Aug. 21 at The Ørchard on Catawba, provides the opportunity to network and learn about the many entities that make Ottawa County a wonderful place to live and work.
This year’s event featured a dunk tank fundraiser that gave attendees the opportunity to dunk OCIC Director Chris Singerling; Erie Ottawa International Airport Director, Clay Finken; Ottawa County Auditor Jennifer Widmer; Magruder Hospital CEO Nick Marsico; Bassett’s Market CEO Charlie Bassett; and GenoaBank Executive VP Justin Moore.
First up to the dunk tank was Finken, who threw out taunts as people threw balls at the target. As Griffin Flying Service pilot, Kara Clifford, tried to dunk Finken, he shouted jeers like, “Stick to flying!”
Proceeds from the dunk tank benefitted the Ottawa County Workforce Hub, home of the Skilled Trades Academy, the Healthcare Careers Academy and the Hospitality & Tourism Academy. Finken is president of the Ottawa County Business Advisory Council (BAC), and the Workforce Hub is an initiative of BAC. He kept that in mind when he entered the dunk tank on Aug. 21, when the temperature plummeted to unseasonably cold lows.
“I’m doing this because it’s for a good cause and benefits Ottawa County and because when I agreed to this, there was a heat advisory,” he said, laughing.
Several local businesses and nonprofits hosted tables at the event, including the Ottawa County Park District, Greater Port Clinton Area Arts Council, Experience the Peninsula, Ottawa County Habitat for Humanity and The Verve. Traci Richards, owner of Millie Magoo’s & The Fine Print bookstore, set up a tent along with local authors Richard Morgan, who is a Beacon columnist, and Brenda Haas.
Leadership Ottawa County board members Sandye Ostheimer, Carrie Sanchez and Stephanie Cavanaugh attended the event to promote the organization. Like Experience Ottawa County, Leadership Ottawa County aims to connect locals to the hidden treasures in their own communities.
“History, industry and tourism are our three areas of focus,” Sanchez said.
Although Ostheimer grew up in Ottawa County, she discovered new things about the community when she participated in Leadership Ottawa County six years ago.
“I learned so much about Ottawa County that I didn’t know existed,” she said. “I learned that Genoa is a cute, quaint town. They have so much unity there. Sometimes there are things right in our own backyards that we didn’t know were there.”
Each year’s class completes a project that benefits the community. Often, those projects have a lasting and growing impact in the community.
“It’s bringing industry and government together in ways you wouldn’t normally think of,” Cavanaugh said.
That was also a benefit of Experience Ottawa County. Among the hundreds of people at the event were government leaders who were connecting with the people they serve, creating a breeding ground for ideas that can make Ottawa County an even better place to live and work.
Awards & Achievements
Awards & Achievements
