Outdoor fun fundraiser enters 21st year with new sponsors, events
As it approaches a sellout attendance, the 21st Annual Westchase District Corporate Challenge is shaping up to be one of the most exciting ever. The event – which will take place Friday, April 6 at Quillian Recreation Center – has a new title sponsor in Frost Bank, an organization with longtime Westchase District ties that has participated with a team competing all 21 years.
“We’ve always been big fans of the challenge and when the sponsorship opportunity became available, we jumped on it,” said Scott Odom, Frost Bank community leader. “Frost is committed to serving the Westchase community and we think this event is a great way to bring members of the business community together for some fun times.”
New events
Frost’s title sponsorship isn’t the only thing new in 2018. Along with returning favorites like dodgeball, the soccer kick and the barefoot briefcase relay, this year’s “field day for adults” will feature three new competitive events: NBA Around the World; Kickball; and the “Crack the Code” Invisible Maze. Whether you’re speedy and strong or just tagging along, a good time will be had by all, bonding and networking with other District business people while raising money for the Westchase District Community Fund.
“We’re always looking for ways to keep Corporate Challenge fresh and exciting for our teams,” said Sherry Fox, Westchase District’s vice president of communications. “This year, we’ve partnered with Playworks Texas, a local nonprofit that works with elementary schools and youth organizations to encourage healthy activity and safe, meaningful play. They tweaked our basketball event and came up with two other new events that I think everyone will really enjoy.”
Worthy cause
That mix of the sure-to-please with the surprising keeps many companies coming back year after year. “This is LAN’s third year to participate and we love the challenge,” said Ricky Gonzalez, senior project coordinator with engineering firm Lockwood Andrews and Newnam. Gonzalez is also a volunteer board member of the Westchase District Community Fund, the 501 (c)(3) charitable arm of Westchase District. Corporate Challenge is the nonprofit’s largest fundraising event of the year. Since 1998, the event has raised more than $243,000 for area charities, including the WDCF and the Quillian Center’s summer day camps.
Gonzalez added that the fund’s ability to help address community needs for those living in Westchase District is tied directly to the success of the event. “We simply couldn’t distribute to as many worthwhile local organizations without the funds raised during the annual Corporate Challenge,” he said.
Stiff competition
While the event is billed as “No Serious Athletics, Just Serious Fun,” the friendly competition among some businesses can get intense. Teams from Costello Engineering have won the last seven consecutive challenges, which means other teams are gunning to upset their winning streak.
“Our company is community-minded, but we’d also love to knock Costello off their throne,” said Connor Young with Pape-Dawson Engineers. Pape-Dawson will have four teams competing this year and the firm is also a major sponsor of the event. “I went to school with a lot of people who are now my colleagues at other engineering firms in the District, so it’s fun to get competitive with them in a friendly way.”
Thanks to all our major sponsors, who include: Amegy Bank; Camden; The Goodman Corporation; Houston Marriott Westchase; Kuo & Associates; Lockwood, Andrews and Newnam, Olympus Property Management; Pape-Dawson Engineers; Parkway Properties, Playworks; Premier America Credit Union; Quillian Center; and Westchase Auto Repair Center, as well as our lunch provider, Cantina Laredo.
