It began on an unexpectedly damp and early Saturday morning. As we made our way to Swanguard Stadium, regret began to set in our minds with the realization that some of us “Rookie Campers” didn’t come prepared for the 24 Hour “Rainy” Relay. But with unstoppable positivity, resilience, and the “Survivorman” like skills of Nevin Macdonald – Director of Events, we managed to battle the storm hour by hour.
As each hour had past, there was always something to do other than running the trail. These included: Improving the fortitude of our fort, playing various sports in the rain, board games, and story-time. Out of every activity, the most memorable due to hilarity and ridiculousness were the golden stories told by Tejen – First Year Representative. He was the star of the party, even the representatives of Grant Thornton loved him. I could say for a fact that we all learned how to keep ourselves “hydrated” for our next relay with his advice.
Overall the relay was an excellent event for team-building and networking. Let’s face it, everyone was forced to spend hours on hours with the people around them in an abnormal environment of muddy trails, damp forests, and stadium lights. What is a better way to team-build than that? Also, it was a great opportunity to network with professionals of: Accounting firms, Legal firms, Real Estate companies, and Student Clubs.
On behalf of the Kwantlen Marketing Association (KMA), we would like to thank: the Kwantlen students and friends that supported by participating in the relay or contributed to the $800+ we raised as a team, the Grant Thornton team who kindly hosted us under their dry tents for the night, and lastly, the “Kids 4 Kids Leadership Program” that offers life changing experiences for today’s youth. We’d also like to send a big shoutout to BBAMM student, Alex Barboutis for joining us at the relay and helping us fundraise! You made our fun bunch even more fun!
With the experience gained from the 2014 – Easter Seals 24 hour relay, we will definitely be better prepared next year in 2015. We hope that everyone will have the chance in 2015 to share the experience with the KMA in running the trails with us.
