THRIVE Games 2012
Unflagging determination. Months of rigorous training. Intense competition. Think we’re describing the athletes of the Olympic summer games that just came to a close? Of course not! We’re talking about the 2nd Annual THRIVE Games! Last week, employees from all departments of Shelf Reliance came together to meet new people, stretch themselves to their physical limits, and compete in the spirit of company unity and thriving lives. Everyone went above and beyond the call of duty to participate in the games all week, coming in early in the morning before work and even on Saturdays to compete in sports of all levels of difficulty and skill, from Wii Dance to triathlon. What were the results? Read on to see what happened throughout the week as our intrepid athletes battled it out!
Friday, August 10th
The THRIVE Games were kicked off on Friday with an opening ceremony in front of the Home Office. After a rousing opening speech by Executive VP Jason Norton, employees were divided into four THRIVE teams—Fruits (headed by Jason Budge), Veggies (headed by Jason Norton), Meats (headed by Steve Palmer), and Dairy (headed by Jeremy Taeoalii)—which they would compete in over the next week. Watch Jason open the THRIVE Games below!
Saturday, August 11th
The first event of the THRIVE games was the Herriman Sprint Triathlon on Saturday. Participants began by swimming a 500-yard loop in the Black Ridge Reservoir, then did a 14-mile circuit through Herriman on bike and ended with a 5k run ending at Butterfield park. Kalli Sorensen (Consultant Services) competed in the women’s division, and Marshall Roach (Quality Assurance) and founder Jason Budge competed in the men’s division. Here are Shelf Reliance’s most dedicated THRIVE athletes!
Kalli Sorensen, Jason Budge, and Marshall Roach competed in the Herriman Triathlon.
Monday, August 13th
Contestants got an early start on Monday morning with a tennis tournament at Discovery Park in Pleasant Grove. The competition was fierce, but by the end of the grueling 2-hour tournament the winners emerged triumphant: Parker Andrus (Customer Service) took home the gold with Neal Sorensen (IT) in second and Jeremy Jeffs (Distribution Center) in third.
The THRIVE Games Tennis team!
Tuesday, August 14th
Participants in the horse shoe tournament came dressed in their Western best Tuesday morning to toss their way to Shelf Reliance history outside the Home Office building. Chef Todd and several of the executives joined the fray, but in the end it was Bo Brannin (Distribution Center) that claimed the first place title, with Randy Hansen (Distribution Center) coming in second and Jason Norton (Executive) third.
The Shelf Reliance team throwing their best at the horse shoe tournament.
Wednesday, August 15th
The energy level was kicked up a notch as contestants hit the hoops with the 3-on-3 basketball tournament on Wednesday morning. The Fruits team dominated the tournament: Bart Mills (Marketing), Andrew Haws (Customer Service), and Blake Severson (IT) emerged victorious, and fellow Fruits Adam Womble (Purchasing), Jason Budge (Executive), and Andrew Grose (Office Staff) came in second. The Dairy team claimed third place with Jeremy Taeoalii (Executive), Mike Wells (Distribution Center), Kyle Swingle (Distribution Center), and Jonathan Short (THRIVE).
The winning basketball team: Bart Mills, Andrew Haws, and Blake Severson.
Thursday, August 16th
The THRIVE Games medalist hopefuls met at Talons Cove Golf Club in Saratoga Springs on Thursday morning to tee off at the team golf tournament. Players of all skill levels participated to bring glory and honor to their team and the company. Kate Leishman (Purchasing), Mike McCoy (Distribution Center), Dane Clark (Finance), and Jim Braun (THRIVE) overcame the team rivalry and combined participants from the Fruit, Veggie, and Dairy team to bag first place. The Fruit team of Curt Willis (THRIVE), Chef Todd, Jason Budge (Executive), and McClain Padvoich (friend of Jason’s) took second place and the Veggies made third with Jason Norton (Executive), Jeff Thomas (THRIVE), Garrett Bybee (THRIVE), and Jim Gibson (HR).
The THRIVE Games golf players!
Friday, August 17th
Friday was an eventful day at the Shelf Reliance Home Office as foosball, ping pong, and Wii dance tournaments raged throughout the day. Balls flew and moves busted as players competed in pursuit of some of the final THRIVE Games awards. In foosball Eric Moosman (Distribution Center) won first place, Andrew Haws (Customer Service) took second, and Henry Argueta (Quality Assurance) made third. The IT department went 1-2 in ping pong with Blake Serverson and Neal Sorensen, and Jason Budge (Executive) claimed third place. Perhaps the most entertaining event was Wii Dance, in which Shannon Peterson (Consultant) grooved her way to first place, followed by Rachel Stauffer (Marketing) in second and a surprising male third by David Lewis (Distribution Center). The executive team tried their hand in the tournament as well; they may not have medaled, but we thought they looked pretty good!
Saturday August 18th
Saturday was the final day of the THRIVE Games, beginning with a team volleyball tournament in the morning at Foothill Park in Orem. The excellent teamwork of the Fruits team took Brittany Jeffs (Consultant Services), Blake Severson (IT), Jason Budge (Executive), Danny Ferrufino (Distribution Center), and Bart Mills (Marketing) to victory. Steve Palmer (Executive), Nick Walker (Supply Chain), Phil Salter (Marketing), Seth Adams (Sales), Shay Petrone (IT), and Tiffany Velez (Customer Service) claimed second place for the Meats team. The Veggies team brought home third place with Jason Norton (Executive), Henry Argueta (Quality Assurance), Jeremy Jeffs (Distribution Center), Jim Gibson (HR), Eric Moosman (Distribution Center), and Geric Hardman (THRIVE).
After the volleyball tournament, the closing ceremonies ended the 2012 THRIVE Games in style with a barbecue for employees and their families, cooked up by the one and only Chef Todd. An award ceremony followed, which celebrated the Fruits team as the overall winners and gave out some very memorable trophies to the winners of each event.
A few of our unique THRIVE Games trophies
The THRIVE Games may be over, but the Shelf Reliance staff is always coming up with new ways to interact, grow, and fulfill their thriving lives through their relationships with both their customers and you, the rest of the Shelf Reliance team! What kind of activities would you include in your own THRIVE Games? Post a comment below to let us know!
Sounds like fun; and glad everyone “won”. You all deserve that passion.