It’s a tough act to follow when a charity team building event is the last program of a long day of meetings and sessions. Energy levels often drop off, and people sometimes have a hard time staying engaged. But that was not the case with the Osborne Events group we worked with in Chantilly. They took on the challenge of a Bike-A-Thon™ at the end of the day, and rocked it!

Sales and Marketing Team Gets Hands-On with a Bike-A-Thon™

Nearly 200 sales and marketing team members met us in a ballroom at the Westfields Marriott. This was going to be a huge Bike-A-Thon™ charity team building event. These people were outgoing and highly animated, and they channeled that enthusiasm into some great teamwork!
Our Bike-A-Thon™ program – in addition to generating bikes for kids in need – shows groups how to identify and appreciate their differences. We opened with a couple of easy ice breaker games. Participants then divided into teams. Each team’s objective was to put together a bicycle. We started each team off with a few bicycle parts, and then teams earned the rest (plus the tools to assemble the bike!) through games and challenges. Friendly competition pushed each team to do their best. As the ability to work together came easier, the pace picked up, too. People were pleased with a job well done as they looked around the room.

Osborne Events Helps Kids in Chantilly, VA

Darryl Webster, from Houston Elementary school, was on hand to accept Osborne Events’ donation of bicycles. People were hanging on every word as he told the group about the children he worked with. Each of these families had been touched by homicide within the least year. And when the children who would be receiving the bicycles came into the room, the group was visibly surprised and affected. The kids’ visit was a tightly held secret that only a few of us who’d been planning the program knew about.

Bike-A-Thon Leads to Greater Change Than Expected

Immediately, anyone could feel a connection between the Osborne Events team and the school kids. As the Bike-A-Thon™ program wound down, participants lingered. They talked with the kids, and everyone marveled over the number of bikes completed. Several people remarked that this was an unforgettable experience. They thanked us for coordinating it. Perhaps most importantly, plans were underway before the day was out for Osborne Events’ folks to continue working with local school children from Darryl’s program.