Original Posting 24.05.18
Being part of a team is one of the best things about working at COMET. Our common mission to support the success of children is one that resonates with each and every employee. Being part of a team - for example a sports team - is a particularly human experience that in its best light brings out the best in humanity.
This year, COMET decided to field a team for the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge! At my previous company, I had been Team Captain for our JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge team for over 20 years. I had basically grown as an employee, an event coordinator and a runner through these efforts. When I brought up the idea at COMET I was delighted to see that several of my co-workers were up for the challenge! We fielded a team of seven. We had a few runners, a few joggers and a few walkers - all approached the event with excitement.
The 28th running of the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge was Tuesday, May 22, in downtown Rochester, NY at the Frontier Field baseball park. Proceeds benefited the local Veterans Outreach Center with 8,771 people registered, an 18% increase from last year, and more than 300 organizations involved. The Corporate Challenge is held at a variety of global locations, but Rochester has one of the largest groups of participants (more than Sydney, Australia or Shanghai, China). I am happy to say that all our COMET participants were strong finishers, enjoyed the event and look forward to it next year. And they like the free T-shirts, too.
I love that running is something to do alone at my own pace. As much as I like to run alone I really appreciate fellow runners' comraderie and encouragement to complete a distance or speed goal. A Corporate Challenge team balances a little competitiveness with support for personal bests. Rookie runners are so great to have on the team - the experience is always positive and often motivates them to continue to include walking/jogging/running as a part of their everyday fitness routine. Many Corporate Challenge participants start out as walkers and end up as runners. The social part of the Corporate Challenge - having fun with co-workers and seeing colleagues from all across the surrounding area - is foundational to the value of the event. It's one of the main reasons people come back year after year.
At the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge, every person feels like an athlete and part of a supportive team no matter how fast they run. For me, that is the point!
- Diane Trentini, VP Marketing & Sales