Utah Valley’s biggest businesses compete for Kids on the Move
Ashton Sanford, Tawna Jones, and Jr. Arujo of Sign City climb at the Kids on the Move event at the park at Orem Community Hospital on Friday, June 5, 2015. Local companies came out and exercised while donating to Kids on the Move. GRANT HINDSLEY, Daily Herald
Derek Beckstrand of Intermountain Healthcare competes in an inflatable obstacle course at the Kids on the Move event at the park at Orem Community Hospital on Friday, June 5, 2015. Local companies came out and exercised while donating to Kids on the Move. GRANT HINDSLEY, Daily Herald
A team of Adobe employees competes in tug-o-war during the Kids on the Move event at the park at Orem Community Hospital on Friday, June 5, 2015. Local companies came out and exercised while donating to Kids on the Move. GRANT HINDSLEY, Daily Herald
The ABC 4 Utah team at the Kids on the Move: Child Development & Family Resources Corporate Challenge June 5.
Employees of local businesses in Utah Valley traded their power suits for activewear and running shoes June 5. With bandanas and pony tails the 22 teams gave back to the community as they battled under the sun for bragging rights at the 10th annual Kids on the Move Corporate Sports Challenge.
Held for the first time at the organization’s Orem facility, the fundraising event welcomed new and returning teams from companies such as Kohls, Adobe, SignCity and KeyBank. The event’s main purpose is to raise awareness and funds for Kids on the Move while providing opportunities for community service.
“It’s our signature event with our corporate sponsors to come and learn about our organization,” said Scott Bean, CEO of Kids on the Move. “It’s also a celebration, a thank you, a recognition for them.”
It was the adults’ turn to hearken back to their recess days and be kids on the move in 10 timed events that required them to complete activities such as kickball, horseshoes, dodgeball, soccer, even a basketball shootout. The teams also got to compete in rock climbing, a wheelbarrow relay race and a huge and colorful inflatable obstacle course. The bouncy course looked fun, but many of the teams said it was one of the hardest events of the day.
The culminating event of the day was the tug-of-war tournament. Adobe won that, and as the team with the best combined times, took home the KOTM traveling trophy to keep until next year’s games.
“These teams are so competitive! Some of them bring these big huge guys, just for the tug of war – it’s crazy. People want to hold that trophy,” Ruby Haddock, KOTM vice-president of development, said.
To participate, companies had to round up a team of seven players and pay $1,000. Many of the companies already contribute that and more to KOTM, and some contributed their team fees in-kind, meaning they donated a set dollar amount of products or services. Others paid in cash — money that will go toward funding the organization’s Autism Center and sponsoring families who can’t afford its services, according to Haddock.
Best of all, Haddock said, is that not only do the companies compete, but their team members get to see first-hand the impact they’re making by contributing. At lunch, two women who personally benefited from KOTM shared their experiences.
Barbara Quintana, from Spanish Fork, started with KOTM more than 15 years ago when she emigrated to Utah from Mexico. She enrolled her daughter and son in the center’s Head Start program and worked with KOTM coaches as well.
“I learned that parenting is about teaching, mentoring, and modeling, and as parents, we are the first and most important teachers,” Quintana said. “In the Head Start program I could see real progress in my children. Head Start was a big factor in their development.”
Today her daughter is at Wesleyan University in Connecticut with a full tuition scholarship. Her son just graduated from high school and is headed to Williamette University in Washington with an 80 percent scholarship.
Pamela Morales is a Provo single mother of three children. She enrolled her children in the Head Start program at KOTM five years ago. Her children have all loved the program, but Morales feels like maybe she has benefited the most.
“I read magazines and stuff, and thought I knew about parenting, but these teachers taught me how to work with my children, how to set goals with them and for them,” she said.
Because of the encouragement and help she received at KOTM, she got her GED and is working on a degree in education so she can work as a home educator with KOTM.
Morales currently works at KOTM as a substitute teacher, and Quintana is a Head Start coach there as well. Bean also started with KOTM 21 years ago as a customer when he needed services for one of his children.
“And it all started with two women years ago who wanted to help children,” Bean said, referring to Karen Hahne and Brenda Winegar, the founders of KOTM. “Now we have 170 employees and we are helping 2,500 children.”
While all the corporate teams were serious about competing, they also were serious about their commitment to supporting KOTM’s service.
“At Adobe, we have several children of employees who are helped and affected by Kids on the Move,” said Josh Pugmire, purchasing analyst at Adobe.
“[The Sports Challenge] brings people together and shows what Kids on the Move is doing and how it is helping families,” Haddock said. “It’s a great way to give back and help generation after generation.”
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