Bragging rights on the line as LEAP Olympics expands to month-long competition

What’s better than a week full of games, camaraderie, and competition? How about a whole month of it? This year, the fun of the fifth annual LEAP Olympics is stretching across all of May, giving Greater La Porte businesses even more opportunities to connect, compete and claim bragging rights.

Hosted by the La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership, the LEAP Olympics is a corporate games challenge where businesses of all sizes battle it out in a series of friendly competitions for a traveling championship trophy. Games are taking place every Tuesday in May, with events ranging from Euchre and trivia to kickball and volleyball.

“This is really a fun team-building event for our members,” said Lindsay Kneifel, director of marketing and communications at LEAP. “It’s also a great networking opportunity for companies that might not typically interact outside of traditional business events.”

The idea for the LEAP Olympics came after the local YMCA discontinued its own corporate games event several years ago. LEAP saw an opportunity to create something similar that would bring local businesses together in a more relaxed, community-focused setting.

“We were looking for a new event to add to our calendar, and we thought something like that would be really fun,” said Erik Nelson, business development manager at LEAP. “We came up with about eight games at the time, and we’ve continued tweaking things over the years based on feedback.”

This year’s biggest change is the expanded format. Previously, all events were squeezed into a single week, but organizers found that spreading the competitions out made participation easier for busy employees and businesses.

“Some companies told us it could be difficult to get teams together every night in one week because people have families and other commitments,” Nelson said. “We decided to try one event day each week throughout the month, and based on registrations already, it seems like it was a really good move.”

The new format is already drawing record participation. Both opening-night events — Euchre and bowling — attracted 14 teams each, significantly higher than previous years.

“In past years, most events would usually have eight to 10 teams,” Nelson said. “Having 14 teams for two separate events is really exciting.”

The games themselves have evolved throughout the years as organizers adjust based on participation and feedback. Past events have included dodgeball and ring toss, while volleyball is making its return this year for the first time since the inaugural Olympics.

“We try to keep it dynamic,” Kneifel said. “We look at what teams enjoy and what gets good participation, then make changes from there.”

Beyond the competition itself, organizers say the LEAP Olympics has become an important opportunity for businesses to strengthen workplace relationships and community connections.

“A lot of these businesses may know of each other, but they don’t necessarily interact often,” Nelson said. “This gives them a chance to get together outside of work, have some fun, and build stronger relationships.”

The event also includes participation from the City of La Porte, with city leadership and employees joining the action. According to Nelson, the city has become the team everyone wants to beat.

“The City of La Porte is our defending champion,” he said. “There are already teams talking about taking them down this year.”

Competition can occasionally get surprisingly intense — especially during past dodgeball tournaments — but organizers say it all stays in good fun.

“Sometimes we have to remind people this is just for fun,” Nelson said with a laugh. “It’s all lighthearted competition.”

In addition to the traveling trophy, winners of each event also receive individual trophies. The championship trophy currently resides at La Porte City Hall, but participating businesses are hoping to change that this year.

Companies and organizations participating this year include Horizon Bank, Northwest Health, American Renolit and Larson-Danielson Construction, along with a variety of nonprofits and smaller local businesses.

This year’s LEAP Olympics schedule includes:

• May 5: Euchre at HotSpot Cafe and bowling at Casey’s Lanes
• May 12: Cornhole and trivia at La Porte Civic Auditorium
• May 19: Kickball at Kesling Park
• May 26: Volleyball at Dunes Event Center
• May 27: Overall trophy presentation

With nearly 20 organizations participating this year and growing excitement surrounding the expanded schedule, the LEAP Olympics continues to prove that a little friendly competition can go a long way in bringing a community together. As the event continues to grow, organizers hope it keeps creating opportunities for teamwork, connection and community spirit throughout Greater La Porte.

For more information about the LEAP Olympics and other programs through the La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership, visit them at laportepartnership.com