For the third year, BH team members based in Des Moines participated in the Des Moines Corporate Games (DMCG). The corporate games are held annually from June 1- July 31, giving corporations and their employees the opportunity to participate in events promoting company pride, wellness, and team building.
The corporate games are comprised of over 25 events ranging from sports, non-competitive participation activities, and philanthropic opportunities offered in-person and virtually. BH had 96 participants across 16 athletic events, with BHers taking home medals in five competitions.
- 2nd place in Disc Golf — Cody Cariaga and Kyle Clough
- 2nd place in Spikeball — Kyle Clough
- 2nd place in Women’s Bowling — Madison Leader, Elizabeth McInroy, Michelle Moorehead, Taylor Schwichtenberg & Amber Swim
- 4th place in Sand Volleyball — Ben Clark, Stacie James, Dalton Stelpflug & Ashleigh Vize
- 4th place in Bags — Kyle Clough & Brandon Mueller
Kyle Clough, a Staff Accountant who relocated to Des Moines last year and has been with BH for one year, used the corporate games to meet new people. He was named “BH Des Moines Corporate Games MVP” through his efforts of earning over 800 points for BH. “I am competitive in nature,” said Kyle. “I wrestled in college, so I have that competitive bone in my body, but at the same time, I was just looking to go out there and have fun. I had good teammates, and with the way the cookie crumbled, we were able to place in a couple of the competitions.”
Competitions aside, the corporate games also give participants the opportunity for community outreach. Seventy BHers volunteered with Meals from the Heartland, an organization that provides packaged meals to children in Iowa and across the nation. With BH’s employee participation alone, approximately 4,000 meals were packaged. BH also hosted a mobile blood donation drive at the corporate office that received 23 donations.
The DSM Corporate Games also includes the Burst Your Thirst challenge, which encourages employees to track water consumption and physical activity over the course of two months. BH had 48 participants and placed 4th in its division.
“I used Burst Your Thirst as an accountability measure for my personal health and fitness goals,” said Jessica Grandstaff, a Regional Coach and a member of BH’s internal games committee. “It felt good to enter in solid numbers every day, and it is a good motivator to not let your teammates down.”
The DSM Corporate Games have been around for seven years, and with BH’s involvement, it has become something Des Moines-based BHers consider a team tradition. “The corporate games give people something to look forward to — especially human connection for those of us who work in hybrid environments,” said Kerry Gehrls, the Legal and IR Service Manager and co-chairperson for BH’s internal corporate games committee. “People know BH participates in the games, so it creates buzz in the office and encourages healthy competition.”
The DSM Corporate Games promotes camaraderie and teamwork outside of work. Each company pays the registration fee, making it free for employees. No upfront practice or skills are needed, and all events are held in the evenings and on the weekends allowing more opportunities for employees to participate.
