BUSINESS NEWS
Grown-Up Spirit Week is an annual campaign promoting an opportunity for workplaces to engage in a fun work activity that will overall boost morale in their business, taking place during the last full week of April. Participating in the designated daily themes enters individuals and teams in the running to win multiple prizes throughout the week. This new tradition has high hopes in extending around the country and has been made possible by the creative team at Marketing Maven Consulting, based out of Great Bend.
“Research shows that employees having fun and creating work memories has a positive impact on their daily engagement, performance and overall employee morale,” said Rachel Mawhirter with Marketing Maven. “In turn, this can help with employee retention and reducing company turnover.”
2023 Grown Up Spirit Week had over 30 teams spread across four states and seven cities, register and participate during the course of the week of March 27 - March 31, 2023.
Daily themes included:
· Pajama Day
· Decades Day
· Sports Day
· “The Office” Day
· Company Colors Day
After composing pictures and submitting their entries, all teams were eligible to be entered for daily prizes for the best-dressed teams, grand prizes for the first, second and third place individual participants, and a grand prize package for the best week-long team participation. There was a total of over $1,500 in cash and prizes that were awarded over Grown Up Spirit Week.
Daily Winners were eligible to be awarded Gourmet Coffee, Pizza Party, Gourmet Snack Bar, Sugar Cookies and Fresh Donuts, all to be shared with their entered team. Individual winners were eligible for a variety of Amazon Gift Cards, ranging from $25-$150. The Grand Prize-winning team that contributed the best participation over the entire event, won a free animated marketing video for their company, valued at over $950, along with their choice of any of the daily prizes.
“The submitted entries this year were phenomenal!” Mawhirter said. “It was so encouraging to see all the participants get into character and having fun with the event.”
Daily Team Winners:
· Brookdale Senior Living
· Stay at Home Moms
· Heart of Kansas Healthcare
· Great Bend Public Library
· Central Kansas Library System
· Vap Construction, Inc.
Individual Winners:
· First Place - Mary Smith-Dumler with Kansas Children’s Service League
· Second Place - Yesenia Garcia with Equity Bank
· Third Place - Karen Stewart with Heart of Kansas Healthcare
The Best Overall Team Winner:
· Heartland Farms
“We are very pleased at the overall participation of the first annual Grown-Up Spirit Week,” Mawhirter said. “Our hopes for the 2024 event are to reach more cities and states, along with more employers willing to take advantage of this fun opportunity to build that camaraderie within their work place.”
The 2024 Grown-Up Spirit Week is scheduled for April 22 - 26, 2024. New theme suggestions are being considered through the end of July 2023. To view past winners or to submit 2024 theme suggestions, you can visit www.grownupspiritweek.com/2023-winners. For more details on Grown-Up Spirit Week, you can visit www.grownupspiritweek.com/. Employers, teams, and individuals are encouraged to follow Grown-Up Spirit Week on all social media platforms.