Fundraising and fun at Corporate Games

This year, the Bad News Barristers, one of two teams from BoyneClarke, was named the best fundraising team at the Corporate Games on Saturday.

They raised more than $8,000 for KidSport and Parasport programs from Sport Nova Scotia. Funds will be used to help offset costs for registration and equipment for children in financial need, as well as purchase equipment and deliver programs for individuals with disabilities.

“We were kind of competitive in terms of the teams competing against each other for the fundraising aspect and then when you actually came to the event itself, you get to put your athletic skills to use and compete there,” said Marc LeClair, the Bad News Barristers team captain. “So the thing is competition and in the end Sports Nova Scotia wins out.”

Anyone who registers to be in the Corporate Games commits to collecting a minimum of $100 in advance of the event. On the day of the games, 17 teams compete in 12 different activities including Big Foot and Junk in the Trunk.

In Big Foot, three people on one team wear a pair of giant-sized foot pads and walk in step. For Junk in the Trunk, participants shake until they get all eight ping pong balls out of a tissue box attached to the waist.

“I like the Segway Series, Ping Pang Party, and the Big foot, but it is really hard,” said Kaylene Murphy, a first-time competitor on her team, C100FM & 101.3. “We worked together … and won the first three games.”

The games are also designed to help participants with their team-building skills. Teams earned points based on how well they do in each game with the possibility of earning bonus points for fundraising. The team with the highest score is declared the champion.

“We tried to design the games (so) that you don’t need skills and athletic ability; we just tried to make them fun and kind of goofy and make sure everybody has a good time when they play the game,” said Tyler Smith, one of the co-ordinators of the Corporate Games.

Along with being named best team, Lisa Nimmo of the Bad News Barristers was named best individual fundraiser. She raised $2,500. The winning team in the Corporate Game was the Stewart McKelvey Sportfeasors. Overall, the teams raised over $25,000.