Gap 2 Gap 2009
2009-05-30
Rainier Fruit Company entered four teams in the 25th running of the Gap-to-Gap race this past weekend in Yakima, WA representing individuals from the horticultural, shipping, packing, support and sales departments.
Rainier Fruit was on hand fielding teams for a second consecutive year and for the first time put together a group of volunteers including over 20 employees and family members who were camped out throughout the mountain bike section to help riders stay on course. Gap-to-Gap volunteer coordinator, Mark Cleaver said “We cannot thank everyone at Rainier Fruit enough for their support this year. It’s obvious to see that they have something special going on in their company by the willingness and enthusiasm of employees to help out this community event.”
Alli Davis, Sales Assistant for Rainier Fruit and a volunteer said she would do it again next year. “I found it fun to help out my friends and teammates safely along the course. I felt that the bikers really appreciated my help as well because not only did they all say thank you, but I even had one gentleman personally walk up to say what a great job we did!”
Team members encouraged---and harassed--each other to stay on track with training. Rainier has found it to be a great company-wide team building event not only for the athletes, but volunteer and spectator employees as well.
First time participant Denise Ramirez, a Replenishment Administrator for Rainier competed in the Mountain bike leg for her team and does not think she would have been able to complete the race without the support of her team or the volunteers. “We had a great team where we each made an effort to do the best we could do, as well as support each other including my department and even the volunteers who pushed me not to quit. It was all of us supporting each other.”
Rheannon Gray who is also a Sales Assistant for Rainier volunteered with her whole family “It was good for my family and I to volunteer for something that promotes health and a feeling of achievement to people in our valley.”
Rainier Fruit volunteers and athletes were easily identified by their neon green T-shirts creating both a visible destination on the course and sense of team cohesiveness. Although none of the teams placed, they scored big with their co-workers and community.
“It was great getting so many thank you’s from the riders; it made me feel like I needed to be there,” said Courtney Lane a Human Resources Assistant for Rainier. “We got so much great feedback from the participants which made it worth getting up early on a Saturday to volunteer.”
The Gap2Gap relay is a multi-sport race comprised of five legs: field run, mountain bike, kayak/roller blade, road bike, and 10K/6K run. The race takes place on and around the Yakima Greenway, along the scenic Yakima River.
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