SYRACUSE — The YMCA of Greater Syracuse is organizing the CNY Corporate Games in which teams of employees from area companies will challenge others in “friendly” sports competitions this summer. Teams can get involved in games such as dodgeball, softball, beach volleyball, basketball, kickball, swimming, and tennis, says Erika Cieply Adigun, corporate wellness coordinator at […]
SYRACUSE — The YMCA of Greater Syracuse is organizing the CNY Corporate Games in which teams of employees from area companies will challenge others in “friendly” sports competitions this summer.
Teams can get involved in games such as dodgeball, softball, beach volleyball, basketball, kickball, swimming, and tennis, says Erika Cieply Adigun, corporate wellness coordinator at the YMCA.
The YMCA is hoping the Corporate Games will help local businesses and nonprofits build “team spirit,” boost staff retention, and lower health-care costs, Adigun says.
As of May 1, two organizations had signed up to participate, including Onondaga County and Crouse Hospital, but other companies are expressing “lots of interest,” Adigun says.
“My thought is that they’ll come … last minute,” she adds.
Employers can register through May 29, although the YMCA is encouraging registrations before that date so officials can visit the company site to help sign up employees for the YMCA access, the various games involved, and for their involvement in the wellness program, if that applies.
Companies will accumulate points based on employee participation, according to Adigun.
“It’s based on how many people in the company come together and say we’re going to participate together … So the more that they’re showing participation, the more points they’re going to get,” she says.
Organizations can participate at different levels, with varying levels of cost. For $1,000 (the contender level), companies can enter in three events and their event participants and families can have access to the YMCA.
“[Companies] can choose the games however they want. You can have three volleyball teams. You can have a volleyball team, a dodgeball team, a softball team. Everybody who plays in those games has access to the Y,” Adigun says.
At the contender level, a company can also submit an additional event team for an additional $100, according to the Corporate Games guidelines.
The $2,500 (the challenger level) package includes entry in six events, the $100 additional event team option, and YMCA access for the whole company and employees’ families.
For $5,000 (the leader level), companies can enter as many events as they’d like, have YMCA access for the whole organization and employees’ families, and get involved in the weight loss and wellness challenge.
The weight loss and wellness challenge includes eight weeks of wellness coaching, the YMCA said. All participating employees get eight weeks of full YMCA access, allowing teams to train together or individually, Adigun says.
The YMCA encourages anyone who participates in the Corporate Games to get involved in the wellness challenge, she adds.
The games begin July 12 and the YMCA-access period begins June 28.
“So June 28 is when they can start coming in, maybe using court time, maybe having some coaching time, maybe participating in some workouts together before they start competing on that July 12 date,” Adigun says.
The Corporate Games are scheduled at the various YMCA of Greater Syracuse branches, including the downtown branch at 340 Montgomery St., and locations in Clay, Fayetteville, Manlius, and at Onondaga Community College.
The YMCA will announce the overall champion at the closing ceremony, which is set for Aug. 23 at YMCA Camp Iroquois in Manlius.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com
