What do you get if you cram 50+ Annual Meeting attendees into a room and ask them to complete a series of fiendishly tricky tasks as they try to fill sacks with treats and toys?
The answer? Plenty of fun, some friendly rivalry, and a lot of very happy children!
Taking place on the second day of this year’s Annual Meeting in La Quinta, California, our fantastic volunteers took a break from a busy program of presentations to participate in an extremely lively Community Service Event aimed at bringing a little joy to the faces of children being looked after by local hospitals and the Ronald McDonald House charity.
The afternoon was spent playing a series of mini games to earn points and the right to stuff goodie bags with a selection of Superhero capes and masks, socks, slap bracelets, notebooks, stickers, pencil sharpeners, crayons, coloring books, balloons, and more.
The completed bags would later be packaged and shipped off to the children for them to enjoy.
Speaking at the event, Ed Boss, ACD’s outgoing Chairman of the ACD Board and President & CEO of Riteks, Inc., was delighted so many people took the time out to show their support and help those less fortunate than themselves.
“This really is a great team building opportunity and networking event where we can all get to know each other a little better, while allowing us to give back to the local community that’s been kind enough to let us have our Annual Meeting here,” he said.
It certainly was an entertaining few hours. Participants were quickly divided into 10 randomly selected teams before taking part in seven unique games.
The first required players to empty a bag of hex bolts and stack them high within a strict time limit. Only those with the tallest towers would get the chance to collect their treats for the children.
Next up was a game of “Name that Tune”, where snippets of songs required a correct title and artist to be noted down. Things then became a little more hectic with the “Pencil Pushers” game, where eraser-tipped pencils were bounced off tabletops, aiming to land perfectly in cups.
A general knowledge trivia round followed, before the aptly named “Tipsy” game kicked things into high gear. Teams bounced ping pong balls onto a tabletop, trying to land them in cups held by a teammate. Successful catches meant cups had to be stacked on top of one another – the taller the stack, the more it would wobble, and the harder their task became.
The competition grew even tougher, with players racing to build elaborate freestanding towers made of straws.
And finally, a frantic game of speed-based cup stacking brought the event to an exciting close.
After much fun and laughter, Michael Harrison, CEO of ACD Affiliate ShelfCycle, emerged victorious as a member of the winning team.
“This win represents many hours of blood, sweat, and tears,” he joked. “I’m a process driven guy and I’ve worked for several months to get to this moment, working on my dexterity and focus. It’s just great to see that rewarded with this outcome today.”
On a more serious note, Harrison said he was grateful to have had the chance to contribute to such a worthwhile cause. “These Community Service events are a huge part of what ACD does,” he said. “Not only do you make great connections with the people here, but it’s also about the impact ACD can have on our communities. We all enjoy the chance to give something back and have fun whilst we do it.”
Well done to everyone who took part and thank you for making this such a memorable and rewarding occasion!
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