OXFORD HILLS — It happens with disturbing ease. With just a phone call or an email, money exchanges hands and unexpectedly they appear.

Pink flamingos.

Their cold, blank eyes gaze remorselessly about, and the only explanation that something larger, and more devious is afoot is a brief note encouraging victims to help them invade yet more lawns.

Finally, the culprits behind the birds are coming forth. Students at the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School admit they’re behind the scheme to place the pink plastic birds – ones like those which graced the lawns of suburban homes in the 1950’s – on properties in the area; hurriedly, they assure it’s for a good cause: a school trip.

To learn about, among other things, product placement.

The colorful campaign was launched by members of the Oxford Hills Technical School’s DECA program, a student organization learning how to market, manage, and promote businesses and products.

The deal goes down like this: curious prank-inclined neighbors fill out an application at the high school or contact DECA adviser Wendy Robichaud specifying where, when, and the number of flocks they want to see appear. Then, they sit back and watch the flamingos descend.

“We’re hoping it’s all done in good spirits,” Robichuad said.

For $15 a flock – flocks consist of a dozen birds buyers can roost the flamingos anywhere in the Oxford Hills region for a day, after which they’ll migrate to another yard.

The birds come with a sign reading ‘You’ve Been Flocked by OH DECA’ with a note attached to the back explaining how friends – a term likely to be reevaluated – have ‘flamingoed’ them in support of the fundraiser.

It reassures the flamingos will soon vanish, thanks them for their sense of humor, and, crucially for the flock to spread, recommends they help the evetn snowball by sending the flamingos to someone else.

Home and business owners aren’t completely defenseless: for a $10 buffer, they can purchase anti-flamingo insurance.

Reactions to the birds have been ‘very good spirited’ Robichaud said, and at least one recipient has ordered the birds to settle elsewhere.

Students aren’t just giving possibly peeved neighbors revenge for years of unkempt lawns or barking dogs; the pranks’ proceeds pay, in part, for their attendance at International Career Development Conference, an international symposium of DECA programs.

Held in May, the conference tests students on their marketing knowledge, with a paper exam and real-world role-playing scenarios.

When the students’ aren’t busy trying to make the grade, they can network with 15,000 of their peers gathered from across the country.

As part of its committment to furthering education, DECA partners with local law firms, Stephens Memorial Hospital, the chamber of commerce, and other businesses so students can job shadow intriguing careers.

After following lawyers at Dow’s Law Office in Norway for a day, Madison Owens, also of Norway, chose to focus on business law and ethics. In a role-play at the state finals earlier in the month, she defended a waterbottling company from libel claims they bottled tap water.

Last year, Madison was one of 17 students from OHCHS to attend the conference. As college acceptance letters arrive, the conference has an added bonus: scholarships.

“Everybody there is really enthusiastic about it,” Owens said.

The upshot of the conference is its price. This year’s conference is held in Atlanta, and excluding food, the ticket runs $1,200. Most of the programs’ 25 students have already balked at the figure, though six still plan on attending.

Fiscal reality has transformed them into entrepreneurs. Robichaud, whose daughter Kelcey will attend, said the program hosts a widely- popular craft fair at the high school every year. Still, it wasn’t enough to cover the costs.

“We’ve done every kind of fundraising in the past you can think of. Now, it’s time for flamingos.”

After stumbling across the idea while searching for fundraising options on Facebook, they bought the flock from a plastic flamingo vendor, drafted the application form, and started promoting their idea.

The concept isn’t new there’s a website, complete with testimonials, solely dedicated to it — but Robichaud thinks several seasons have passed since the feathers were last felt in Oxford Hills. She’s hoping the group can raise half the amount needed, $1,500, by mid-April.

That may prove a lofty goal. While the birds are booked steadily at the moment, reaching their target will require a stream of participants.

Students, meanwhile, are just hoping for warmer weather: Owens said placing the birdscomeswithitsdifficulties.

“Sometimes the ground’s so hard it’s difficult to get them in there. I had to use one flamingo to hammer another in.”

Copy the Story Link