1st Annual Region Games Brings Together Dedicated Network of Young Professionals and Nonprofits for a Day of Friendly Competition

1st Annual Region Games Brings Together Dedicated Network of Young Professionals and Nonprofits for a Day of Friendly Competition

Tug-O-War and relay games proved themselves to be adult-friendly on Saturday as Region residents gathered for the first annual Region Games.  Hosted by the Full Circle Young Professionals (from the Duneland and Portage Chambers), EPIC (Crossroads Chamber), Young Leaders United (YLU – United Way of Porter County), La Porte Jaycees (La Porte Chamber), and the Lakefront Career Network (LCN – Michigan City Chamber), the event pulled together a diverse segment of Northwest Indiana for an afternoon full of fun and friendly competition.

Groups of participants and spectators could be seen enjoying the games as well as the nonprofit fair on the grounds. Each participant and spectator was given the chance to vote for their favorite nonprofit and the winners of the vote received cash for their organization!

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“So Full Circle and a number of Young Professional groups got together and decided that we all needed to do something together,” explained Mackenna Schon, Volunteer Emcee for the Region Games. “People our age love getting together to serve a better purpose, so we invited a lot of nonprofits here today. All of the proceeds are going toward supporting our local nonprofits. We are just so excited to get people from across the Region today to get to know each other and have some fun!”

The field day activities kept teams involved and active for much of the day. Paired with networking and a good cause, participants were full of joy and enthusiasm and participating offered more than just a way to have a little fun, though.

“We’re so happy to see all of our young professionals from the Region come together to really support all of our nonprofits that are in our area,” explained Maura Durham, President of the Duneland Chamber of Commerce. “I think it’s an exciting thing for the Duneland area to host this event at Dogwood Park and we’re looking forward to seeing this grow in the future.”

Nonprofits in attendance included: American Cancer Society, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana, Girls on the Run of Northwest Indiana, Housing Opportunities, Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana, United Way of Porter County, and more! For these organizations, the event was more than just a chance to win some cash, but a way to get their mission and message out to more people.

“As a staff, we all like to compete, so we think it’s really cool to be able to compete and interact with other nonprofits from around Northwest Indiana,” said Chris Geiger, League Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana. “It’s a lot of fun going out, meeting people, and making connections.”

Field day may have been the best part of elementary school, but there’s no reason it couldn’t be a load of fun for adults too. Saturday proved this to be true as area residents gathered for fun, networking, and the benefit of community organizations.