Corporate Challenge spurs friendly competition for charity
Teams scramble to collect balls in the human version of "Hungry, Hungry Hippo" in the Westlake Rec Center gym. Photo by Denny Wendell
Westlake's annual Corporate Challenge concluded Aug. 5 after five days of events pitting teams from six local businesses against each other in a wide range of team-building events. The competition was staged between teams from Applied Companies, the City of Westlake, ECHO Health, Q-Lab, UH St. John Medical Center, Western Enterprises and West Shore Bar Association.
Among this year's 20 events were LEGO building, bocce ball, sand volleyball, bowling, a Texas Hold ‘Em poker tournament, golf, air hockey and a trivia competition.
The final event day culminated with the splash-filled cardboard boat races at the Westlake Recreation Center. For the boat competition, teams constructed a watercraft of cardboard that was judged on construction and design before navigating two lengths of the Westlake Rec pool. The race required a male and female paddler. Despite their best efforts, not all of the boats completed the race, as some took on water in the heat of battle.
As a whole, the six teams collected over 1,000 non-perishable food items that were donated to the Westlake Assistance Program as part of the Corporate Challenge’s Food Drive. To go along with the giving spirit of the Corporate Challenge, competitors also donated 64 pints of blood as part of the Blood Drive.
At the end of this friendly and good-natured challenge, only one team could claim the title as the 2016 Westlake Corporate Challenge Champion. This year’s winner was the team from UH St. John Medical Center. During the awards ceremony, the winning team was presented with a champion plaque and the Corporate Cup, which stays with the winning company for the year.