The 16th annual Richardson Corporate Challenge, a 10-week, Olympic-style business competition, held its closing ceremony on Friday, Oct. 18, at Richardson’s Civic Center and recognized the winning companies in each of six divisions. The winners in the size-based divisions were as follows: Division A – PepsiCo; Division AA – Fossil; Division B – Pioneer Natural Resources ; Division BB – Markit; Division C – Texas Capital Bank; Division D – Kosmos Energy; and Division E – Mustang Technology Group. Event officials also presented awards recognizing team spirit and outstanding company coordinators to various companies and their employees.

Richardson Corporate Challenge organizers announced that, over the last 16 years, they have raised more than $1.3 million in cumulative donations to Special Olympics Texas, the event’s beneficiary since its creation. This year alone, the participating companies donated $174,000, which was raised through fundraising events over the course of the 10-week competition. A portion of the fundraising proceeds are earmarked annually for the local Richardson Roadrunners Special Olympics team. 

“Over the past 15 years, Corporate Challenge has demonstrated that sports can not only bridge social barriers, but bring together a community to promote the spirit of giving back,” Margaret Larsen, President and CEO of Special Olympics Texas, said. “Special Olympics Texas is truly grateful to the City of Richardson for showing how one city can change the dynamic of its community through inclusivity. Their innovation and generosity has helped make the dreams of Special Olympics Texas athletes across the state of Texas come true.”

At the closing ceremony, organizers also announced that 2013 title sponsor Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas has signed on to sponsor the next three Corporate Challenge competitions. 

“We are extremely thrilled to report another successful Corporate Challenge, Robbie Hazelbaker, assistant director of recreation & events for the City of Richardson, said. “Our participating companies and competitors did an extraordinary job this year – both in the 10-week competition and the fundraising. “Their dedication and support to not only the friendly competitions, but to Special Olympics Texas, is why this initiative has accomplished so much over the years.”

More than 12,000 employees from 54 DFW-area companies participated in this year’s Richardson Corporate Challenge. The Challenge is an Olympic-style corporate competition lasting over two months and featuring 24 events ranging from athletic sports such as softball, basketball, flag football and 3-on-3 women’s basketball, to non-athletic contests such as darts, billiards and miniature golf. The Richardson Corporate Challenge is the only one of its kind in Texas, and is believed to be one of the three largest multi-day Corporate Challenge events in the U.S. 

Registration for the 2014 Richardson Corporate Challenge is now open to companies of all sizes in the DFW area. Companies interested in signing up for the 2014 Richardson Corporate Challenge should visit the competition’s website or contact Melanie Sprott at 972-744-4585. The cost for participating companies ranges from $2,000 for companies with fewer than 349 employees, to $2,500 for companies with 350 or more employees.

This year’s participating companies and organizations included: Ambit Energy; AmerisourceBergen Specialty Group; Air System Components; Anritsu; ARGO Data; Assess Systems; Availity; Baylor Health Care System; Beck Group, BlueCross BlueShield of Texas; CA Technologies; Cisco Systems, Inc.; City of Richardson; CommScope; Companion Data Services; Concentra, Inc.; Convergys; Ebby Halliday Realtors; Esurance; ETC; Flexjet; FM Global; Fossil; Freese and Nichols; GE; The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano; Hill & Wilkinson; Hilton; HP; ISN; KBM Group; Kosmos Energy; L3 Communications; Lennox International; Markit; MedAssets; Mustang Technology; National Life Group; North Texas Tollway Authority; PepsiCo; Pioneer Natural Resources; PrimeLending; Quickscores; Raytheon Company; Richardson ISD; Samsung; SOURCE, Inc.; Southwest Airlines; Tektronix; Texas Capital Bank; TriQuint Semiconductor; The University of Texas at Dallas and ViewPoint Bank.

In 2000, the Challenge launched QuickScores.com, a one-of-a-kind online score tracking system, which was quickly emulated by other Corporate Challenge venues in the U.S. QuickScores allows the scorekeepers to immediately post scores from the daily events and also gives them the ability to track scores from previous years. 

The Richardson Corporate Challenge is a professionally run, volunteer-driven, Olympic-style competition produced by the Richardson Parks & Recreation Department. A managing board, made up of a select group of company representatives and City employees, developed the policies and procedures that rule and govern the events. 

Story courtesy of Greg Sowell