Union Bridge to host 7th annual
 Rubber Duck Derby

(5/22) On June 7th, Little Pipe Creek will be teeming with hundreds of yellow rubber ducks.

Dream Big Union Bridge is diving towards their 7th annual Rubber Duck Derby Festival featuring local venders, food trucks, music, and Maryland’s Jeep Club. The founder and co-founder of Dream Big Union Bridge, Brian Colussy and Cheri Thompson, make sure the proceeds not only fly towards the individuals who live in Union Bridge, Maryland but also families across America through the non-profit organization Mission 22.

The Rubber Duck Derby festival is free to attend. In order to participate in the derby, individuals can purchase a pack of rubber ducks from their choice out of three levels. Entry level one, "Lucky Duck" one duck for $5, entry level two, "Quack Pack" six ducks for $25, and lastly, "Flying Flock" 15 ducks for $50.

The ducks are poured into Little Pipe Creek and travel downstream towards the finish line. Each duck is numbered, and cash prizes are awarded to the top three finishers. First place awards $250, second $200 and third place $150.

Although onlookers will be cheering for their duck to pass the finish line first, the ducks that bob in the creek alongside the Donal D. Wilson Walking Trail mean more to the community than a cash prize.

The money raised from entry purchases goes back into improving the infrastructure of Union Bridge. Past donations have gone into the construction of a park bench, community boards and housing renovations.

Dream Big’s next big mission is to turn Union Bridge from a food desert into a food paradise. Starting with a farmers' market that will open the day of the derby.

"There are no grocery stores in town and a lot of the people don’t even have their license around here," Colussy said. "Transportation is an issue, so they need as many services in town to accommodate the need."

While working to improve the town of Union Bridge, the founders of Dream Big Union Bridge are also taking it upon themselves to raise money for a widespread organization, Mission 22.

Mission 22's goal is to provide veterans and veteran’s families with suicide prevention programs and resources. The venders and food trucks that will be featured during the event are welcome, not required, to donate some of their proceeds to Mission 22.

Through Maryland’s Jeep Club, Jeep owners are able to contribute to donations by registering for a spot at the Jeep show that will run throughout the event.

Two bands, The Mayo Family Band, a bluegrass band and Payload, a Classic Rock band are both scheduled to perform during the festival and for the first time local wineries and distilleries will be included in the to the festival.

Kathy Kreimer the owner of Esquire Liquors Union Bridge explained that the duck derby always increases foot traffic in the town.

"It brings people into town and lets them see all we have and all we do," Kreimer said. "It’s a real nice day to just have fun for the kids and the parents and not worry about anything else."

How Dream Big Union Bridge got their ducks in a row

A liquor store is not the first building one would expect a Carroll County deputy to enter.

In 2017 while Cheri Thompson was working a part-time shift at Esquire Liquors in Union Bridge Maryland, Brian Colussy in full uniform, stood among the packed shelves of wine bottles, looking to initiate a long-lasting partnership with Thompson.

At the heart of Dream Big Union Bridge, a non-profit organization in Union Bridge Maryland, is Brian Colussy the founder and Cheri Tompson the co-founder, who both share a deep motivation to make Unions Bridge the best version of itself.

"I’ve had a dream that this town can be like Sykesville or Mount Airy, because they looked like this before they got to where they are now," Thompson said. "That’s my goal I’d give anything for that."

As a Carroll County deputy in 2014 Colussy saw the parts of Union Bridge that people passing by would not get the chance to see.

Growing up in a rural town in western Pennsylvania, Colussy saw Union Bridge as more than just one of the thousands of map dots across America. Union Bridge reminded him of his home, and he did not want to see it fall apart.

"He wasn’t your average deputy," Thompson said. "He was everywhere, and you never knew where he was from one five minutes to the next. He could tell you who lived in what house if they were married, divorced, if they had a dog or a cat."

Colussy saw families struggle to pay their bill, individuals dealing with substance abuse, empty storefronts, and a small town being forgotten by the rest of the county.

"It’s like the broken glass theory," Colussy said. "Prime example, kid breaks a window, window doesn’t get replaced, more kids are going in and breaking even more windows and when that happens the homeless move in, try to keep warm and end up burning down the whole building."

Colussy expressed that when a town doesn’t have enough money to fix one small problem then it could lead to even bigger issues. Colussy wanted to make a change but knew he could not do it alone.

Thompson was recommended to Colussy by a Union Bridge residence due to the reason that she had an extensive past in working with non-profits organizations such as Taneytown Jaycees, Maryland State Junior Quarter Horse Association and Union Bridge Business Association.

Thirty community members and business owners showed up to the first meeting in which both Colussy and Thompson recognized a theme among the people. Members of the Union Bridge community had big dreams for the future of the place they call home.

Eight years, six duck derbies and countless community events later Dream Big Union Bridge is still working towards bettering the community.

It is the founders’ hope that the more venders and activities they feature during their upcoming event on June. 7. will not only bring people to the derby but also introduce people to a town that they otherwise would drive right past.

"We have people from all over come to the derby," Thompson said. "Our goal is that when they come, they will learn more about the town, patronize some of the businesses, hopefully they’ll see a vacant building and possibly want to start their own business in town."

While organizing the event both founders are also juggling full-time jobs. Colussy serves at Carroll Community College on the campus police force and Thompson works at Carroll County government and Resources Management. And still they are both driven by their love for Union Bridge.

"It takes a community. We have to look out for each other," Thompson said. "That’s what Dream Big does. We’re trying to get people to know their neighbors which is why we do the community events so that people know what is going on in each other's lives."