Several Pittsburg businesses who work hard together are taking the time to play hard together this week.
The annual Corporate Challenge, sponsored by Pittsburg Parks and Recreation, kicked off Sunday, meaning local businesses are playing games for both points and the pride of taking home the crown.
Those games range from golf and bowling to a massive slide relay where teams see who can slide and swim to put up the fastest times. Tuesday’s events include a fishing derby, amazing race, bocce, disc golf tournament and a mile walk. Teams are given points for how well they do in the games, and the team with the most points is crowned the winner.
“For us, it’s a great team-building exercise,” said Tom Farmer, Pitsco communications manager. “We can get together outside of work and play together a little bit. It brings us close together.
“We have a lot of team projects that we work on here,” Farmer said. “So the interaction between employees really carries through in an event like the Corporate Challenge.”
Pitsco has been a force in the annual challenge, taking home the large division crown six years in a row.
“I think that’s a reflection of the work ethic of our employees,” Farmer said. “Whatever they do, they give 100 percent effort, and that’s at work or at play.”
Farmer said that’s not the only motivation that drives their team.
“Our president ... takes a lot of pride in our success in the Corporate Challenge,” Farmer said. “So we put forth our best effort.
“Everybody wants to please the boss.”
If anyone has had more success at the Corporate Challenge than Pitsco, it’s been the organizers. Kim Vogel, recreation director for the parks and recreation department, said the challenge had grown from eight or nine teams to 14 this year. Nine of the 14 teams this year participate in the upper division, which consists of businesses with 100 or more employees. The other five in the lower division have between one and 99 employees.
“It’s really grown the last several years,” Vogel said. “We try to make sure there are some fun events that everyone can do, as well as some team-building events and more competitive games.”
Lindsey VanLeeuwen, Zouire accountant, said the games promote unity between employees.
“It gets everyone active and participating in something as a company,” VanLeeuwen said. “It’s fun for everyone to get together outside of work and to see that everyone has something in common outside of work.”
Kevin Flaherty can be reached at kevin.flaherty@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 Ext. 134.
