from staff
Employees of the mayor’s office and other City departments will be competing against the community this fall — but not over city affairs. It’s for the adidas-sponsored corporate crystal cup.
Ten organizations, including the City, Bank of America, Baptist Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida and UF & Shands Jacksonville will compete in 11 different athletic events during the inaugural First Coast Games. The event was created through YMCA of Florida’s First Coast. Adidas is the primary sponsor for the games and is supplying all participants with T-shirts or jerseys, as well as the corporate crystal cup.
Roderick Crabbe, director of the First Coast Games, said they received the sponsorship through the YMCA CEO meeting with adidas’ regional representatives. Most organizations began committing towards the end of May.
“We just want to promote health and wellness in the workplace overall,” said Crabbe, who was a member of the Super Bowl Host Committee. “It also provides fellowship and corporate pride throughout each organization.”
The mayor’s office is already pumped for the two-month games which start Sept. 9. A team captain from each participating organization was assigned to recruit employees as players and the rosters were turned in to YMCA last week.
Kevin Holzendorf, the policy director for the mayor’s office, is the team captain for the City and said he is very excited about the games.
“I’m really excited about the reaction I’ve received from the employees. We actually had to turn people away,” said Holzendorf, adding 76 people are on the roster.
There are also nine team captains including Parks & Recreation Deputy Director Kelley Boree, special investigator to the mayor Tye Welsh and Jacksonville Economic Development Commission Deputy Executive Director Paul Crawford. All volunteered to be team captains, said Holzendorf. The leaders and their teams will be playing for points in a series of games such as the kickoff Riverwalk Relay Race, a rock climbing competition, tennis, softball, flag football, golf, volleyball or swimming. Participants can select how many games and which games they would like to compete in. City Council member Reggie Fullwood signed up to play in the basketball competition and Assistant Director of Planning Brad Thoburn is in the golf competition, which will be held at The Golf Club at Fleming Island. Most of the events are at various First Coast YMCAs.
But before the games begin, 12 employees from each organization were selected for a 10-week wellness challenge during which they will work out at least two days a week with a YMCA personal trainer with the goal of reaching health and lifestyle goals. The training began last week.
“The wellness challenge to us is really the most important part because this is really going to be changing lives,” said Crabbe.
Jennifer Joy, wellness director at the Winston Family YMCA, said the goals are based on weight loss, inches lost, and changes in blood cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose levels. The challenge will also include body flexibility classes, a temporary membership to the YMCA, questionnaires and weekly homework assignments like using more nutritional ingredients in favorite recipes.
“We hope that they’ve established brand new habits and brand new lifestyles at the end of the 10 weeks,” said Joy.
Chief Operating Officer Alan Mosley, Staff Manager Jenny Gleeson and Chief of Special Initiatives and Communications Susie Wiles of the mayor’s office, are among the 12 from the City who are in the wellness challenge. After the 10 weeks, the top three teams will be awarded points that will carry over to the First Coast Games. Three individuals will also be recognized for overall greatest improvement, said Crabbe.
The Oct. 14 Family Fun Day will be the final points competition and the team with the most points will receive the adidas cup. But just because the players are business professionals doesn’t mean they won’t get competitive.
“We’re not just hoping (for the cup), that’s what we’re shooting for,” said Holzendorf. “We’re aiming to win.”