One of the more than 4,000 product creators hoping to "Get on the Shelf" as part of a national Walmart contest is Jason Eric Badua from Kauai.
He describes himself as an engineer-entrepreneur who has been active in the Garden Isle’s high-tech industry over the last decade.
His fly-repelling invention, called "Forget – U – Flies," is an electronic fly repeller designed to keep flies from landing on and contaminating food and drinks at outdoor picnics and barbecues, Super Bowl parties, your graduation party, baby luau and more.
The video submitted to the contest shows how the product works and is one of the better videos perused thus far by your columnist.
One food product entered, called "Hawaiian Dips," is a California-based product, and the video not only failed to show the food, it shows somebody in a gorilla suit that invades a party, angrily refusing offers of other dips and chips only to be calmed when offered the Hawaiian dip.
OK, so not every food manufacturer is a born marketer.
But back to Badua.
His patent-pending, trademarked Forget – U – Flies are manufactured on Kauai by his company Fly Away Technologies LLC.
"FUFs work well during lunch breaks but excel at defending buffet lines and cocktail tables from flies," he said via email.
The device is essentially a cylinder containing a motor and is topped by a propellor that rotates two flexible arms, keeping uninvited flying guests off your teri beef, mochiko chicken and mac salad.
"It’s designed to be safe to use around kids," who can be clearly seen in Badua’s contest video.
A video on his own website shows the repeller propellors keeping a legion of compost-pile flies away from open plates of food.
He intends to keep the manufacture of FUFs on Kauai and would love to get readers’ votes on the contest.
With more than 4,000 entries, Walmart has not attempted to track the contestants’ home states, so Badua may be one of dozens of Hawaii-based entries.
"This is the first time we’re doing the contest," said Ravi Jariwala, Walmart spokesman. It’s a first for any retailer, he added.
"Our goals were twofold," to both give anyone in America a chance to get their product carried by Walmart.com and potentially by the company’s brick-and-mortar stores, as well as for the company’s own edification, to crowd-source for new, innovative products, he said.
"Customer response has been outstanding."
The first round of online voting will run for 28 days through April 3, when the company will announce the top 10 finalists.
"Once we get to the top 10, a more manageable number, we’ll get deeper detail" from the contestants, Jariwala said.
Design dreams come true for nonprofits
Seven Hawaii nonprofit organizations have won free makeovers from Honolulu-based design company Designer for a Day.
Company founders Jean Wall and Joan Robinson-Whitaker announced their inaugural "Designer for a Dream" community service campaign earlier this year, and the grand prize winners, March of Dimes and the Life Foundation, will receive full-day design makeovers of a selected space in their facilities valued at $1,500 each.
The other winners will receive a half-day design service consultation valued at $750. They are Kahi Mohala, Kumu Kahua Theatre, PARENTS, Central Union Church Thrift Store and YWCA of Hawaii Island in Hilo.
Through the company’s partnership with Chaminade University, interior design students will gain real-world experience in helping to complete the makeovers.
"The response to Designer for a Dream has been overwhelming, and we’re excited to share our services with these groups," Wall said.
Chaminade students will be "involved in all phases of the design consultation, from analyzing the needs of the nonprofit groups to designing creative space solutions," Robinson-Whitaker said.
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Reach Erika Engle at 529-4303, erika@staradvertiser.com or on Twitter as @erikaengle.
