Putting together a kid’s bike is no easy task, but on Monday, Oct. 8, 242 Verve, a Credit Union, team members worked together to assemble bikes for kids from the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh all while having fun.

They formed teams to complete a series of challenges to earn additional pieces of the instructions for assembling the 36 bikes. Then they got the ultimate reward for their efforts when they saw the kids’ joy and excitement as they learned they were getting new bikes.

“We took advantage of Columbus Day, a federal holiday, to gather our team for a day of training and enrichment. This year we wanted to give our team members a surprise that would leave a lasting impact not only on them, but on the community,” Kevin J. Ralofsky, President and CEO of Verve, said. “The bike-building activity was the perfect fit to be able to wrap up a day devoted to servant leadership by performing a Random Act of Verve—our way of surprising and uplifting community members—by assembling and then giving bikes to kids.”

Verve participated in a Build-A-Bike® team building activity through The Leader’s Institute® as part of their all-team training and enrichment day designed to promote teamwork, collaboration, and most importantly, identify opportunities to benefit others. The day ended with a surprise visit from 17 youth from the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh. The kids received their new bikes and bags full of Verve goodies and the remaining bikes were donated to the Club to give to kids throughout the year.

“We are so thankful for such strong partners like Verve and their commitment to making our community a stronger, healthier and safer place,” said Tracy Ogden, director of advancement at the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh. “It means so much to our kids to see all of the people who care about their wellbeing, but also to see and experience firsthand how serving others is a key piece of leadership, which is one of the values we try to instill in our youth.”

The bike-giving celebration brought smiles—and tears of joy—to youth and Verve team members alike.