CORPORATE CHALLENGE: Business team building

Co-workers bond though athletic competitions

Jackie Caskey loves Corporate Challenge, the Olympic-style event run by the Las Vegas Department of Leisure Services which, this year, features close to 14,000 people from 80 companies competing in 26 events.

Caskey, a longtime competitor from G.C. Wallace Inc., an engineering firm gunning for its unprecedented seventh straight title in the C Division, was so passionate about Corporate Challenge she entered a swim meet last year shortly after undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer.

"She is special to our heart," said Susan LeCavalier, project coordinator for Corporate Challenge for G.C. Wallace. "She's over 60, but she usually enters every event. Last year, after a bout with cancer, she went out to the swim meet and competed. It was most remarkable. She'd just had chemo.

"We were all cheering her on and it just brought everyone together. She says the reason she keeps fighting is for Corporate Challenge."

Unfortunately, Caskey is currently entrenched in another battle with cancer, one she appears to be losing, but her presence and spirit lives on in the 18th annual Corporate Challenge, which is scheduled to run through June 7 at a wide range of venues in Las Vegas.

"It's really brought us closer together in the company. It does give a sense of pride and a sense of loyalty to the company," LeCavalier said. "It builds a closeness between us at the office. You may get to see each other every day, but you really don't get to know everyone you work with. This gives us a chance to get to know your co-workers and other people in the community."

G.C. Wallace, which has been in business close to 30 years in Las Vegas, has close to 250 employees, and nearly 150 of them take part in Corporate Challenge.

"It isn't all about winning, it's about getting involved. It isn't a mandatory thing," LeCavalier said. "I just think it's pretty cool the city of Las Vegas is putting this on. It really does a lot for the community, and it allows us to be able to show up as a company in the community and have some clean, healthy fun."

LeCavalier said one reason G.C. Wallace has been able to dominate its division for close to a decade is its organization.

"It's clear it's all about coordination, and we have a lot of pride over here and want to succeed," she said. "We want to show the community we have a lot of commitment and we want to follow through. It's how we act as a company on a daily basis."

LeCavalier said there are captains formed for each event -- which range from archery, basketball and bocce to chess, canoe races and kickball -- and teams practice a month or so before the games begin, with an opening ceremony, torch relay and parade of companies at the Fremont Street Experience. Top performers for G.C. Wallace include Howard VanderMeer, Johnny Pate, Amanda Fleese and Danielle Neath.

The 10-week competition, which will feature tug-o-war at 6 p.m. May 26 and 27 at Freedom Park and basketball June 1-4 at Doolittle Community Center, among other events, is designed to showcase "corporate pride in action" and "build a community of friends."

The largest amateur athletic event in the state also strives to promote physical fitness for a healthier outlook, encourage companywide participation in a variety of events, boost morale, teamwork and loyalty, develop networking opportunities and enhance employer-employee relations and the physical and mental condition of employees.

Mike Clegg, the program coordinator for Nellis Air Force Base, which is leading the A Division over two-time defending division champ Bellagio, said the Corporate Challenge has several rewards.

"We usually have about 400 participants each year who either volunteer or actually participate, and all of them benefit from the competition in some way," he said. "It helps us stay active and in shape and we also make some connections with the people downtown.

"We go out to have a really good time and we make some friends and develop relationships with the people you see there year after year."

Divisions are based on number of employees. Other top teams in the A Division (2,000 or more employees in the company) include The Mirage, Caesars Palace, the Golden Nugget and MGM Grand.

The Yucca Mountain Project is shooting for its third straight title in the B Division (500 to 1,999 employees), which also features Southwest Gas and Nevada Power, and Southwest Airlines is the top competition for G.C. Wallace in the C Division (151 to 499 employees).

PBS&J Engineering captured the D Division (1 to 150 employees) crown last year, with The Team in the lead this year.

The inaugural Corporate Challenge, in 1986, featured 18 teams and 1,500 people who competed in 15 events.

Friendships and marriages have sprung from the event, which features good-natured ribbing and a positive atmosphere.

"We have people in different areas of the company who normally wouldn't have day to day correspondence with each other, but with Corporate Challenge, they end up on the same team and get to know each other," said Roy Lawson, project coordinator for Las Vegas Fire and Rescue. "It really develops friendships and breaks down some normal business barriers. It really is a neat thing. It's just a very positive project for the city."


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